If you’ve ever worked with other people, you’ll know that many groups never reach their full potential. They get stuck. They go around in circles, and they never transform into a team.
Ask yourself this: Has your team reached its full potential? If not, read on and discover some “secrets” to improving team performance.
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. – Ecclesiastes 4: 9, 10
The Essence of Teamwork
So, you want to get more from your team?
Okay. But first, we really do need to better appreciate what teams do to understand why they rarely reach their full potential.
Teams are greater than the sum of their parts. Right? Wrong? You decide.
Think about it. Is this as trite as it may first appear? Don’t be so sure.
To understand teams, we must better appreciate what they do.
For instance, we can see for ourselves:
- teamwork can accomplish what the individual cannot do alone,
- teamwork asks us to coordinate effort and work in concert,
- we only sustain high performance through teamwork,
- teamwork and leadership are fundamental to business, and
- successful leadership occurs in teams.
Isn’t this glaringly obvious? We all know our teams can be more effective. Yet often do little about improving team performance.
Why is this?
First, leading others is not easy. And second, you profoundly influence the team.
With this in mind, let us take a brief look at 3 reasons teams don’t reach their full potential.
Why Teams Don’t Reach Their Full Potential
If you haven’t already guessed, this is down to what you are doing, or rather what you’re not doing. So if you’re up for some constructive criticism… let’s jump in!
You don’t spend enough time with your team
How much time do you spend with the team? Think about it.
If your working day is anything like—what used to be—my average day, you’ll spend most of your time in formal or informal meetings. You may even say: “I’m too busy to because…” [insert excuse here]
But you’d be missing the point!
When you are in meetings, you’re not alone. You are working in groups.
