Home
>
Team Building
>
The Top Ten Methods to Create a Successful Work Team

The Top Ten Methods to Create a Successful Work Team

Teams are often useful in situations where the task cannot be completed individually or if the task requires working interdependently. However, a successful team requires thought and planning. Too often, a group of individuals is simply thrown together, given a mandate, "marching orders" and then told, "Now go make us proud!"

To create an effective work team, defined outcomes, common goals and correct skills are keys to success. Here are ten methods to create a successful work team.

1. Create a common, shared (team) goal.
There must be a central focus that the team is moving towards and it must also include a strong task orientation that translates into each person knowing how to move towards that goal.

2. Have measurable outcomes.
Team execution is usually more effective if you can measure what the team produces. Standards of excellence should be established so that the team understands what the target is and ongoing measurement (milestones) towards the desired outcome should also be implemented.

3. Promote interdependency.
Each person needs to know what he or she is going to contribute and also how what they contribute fits into the "big picture". Discourage personal (individual) competition in favor of the team's agenda and purpose.

4. Help the team to understand and appreciate differences.
Teamwork is an individual skill and each individual brings unique talent, value, communication needs, strengths and limitations to the team. Building an effective, unified team requires each person first understands their own "style" and is then able to recognize and appreciate the "styles" of others.

5. Make sure team members have the right skills.
Technical (hard) skills as well as interpersonal, problem solving (soft) skills are equally important to the team's success. Don't neglect one for the other. Discover where the needs are and then provide the right training to meet those skill needs.

6. Train and then follow up on training.
Long-term retention of newly learned training skills requires ongoing coaching and assistance from immediate supervisors and coaches. Frequent inquiries into how recently trained team members are progressing and feedback will help them continue practicing what they have learned.

7. Spell out lines of communication.
It's important to know how to communicate with one another as well as the "flow" of communication.

8. Continually stress the team's purpose.
It may seem simplistic, but frequently reminding team members of the "what" and the "why" is critical to ensuring the vision and mission stay fresh and that the team remains focused on the desired outcome. Revisit the team's mission as well as the desired outcome often.

9. Provide detailed agendas for team meetings.
Meetings are not always the most effective or efficient use of the team's time, but if a meeting is necessary, make sure it is structured so that the time is well spent. Outcome agendas are particularly effective. More than simply a list of items to be discussed, these will spell out exactly what outcomes will occur during and following the meeting.

10. Be a model.
People will respond according to the actions - not the words of their leaders. If you want effective teamwork, model it first and foremost. Performance advisor and author, Darcy Hitchcock, puts it this way: "employees are professional 'boss watchers'. That is, what managers say means nothing unless their actions model what they say." Leading is the act of influencing others to act, which is difficult if you have one set of standards for yourself and another for everybody else.

Monty J. Sharp is a Master Certified Work Team Coach, Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst and Human Performance Specialist. He is also co-founder of Vision to Venture, LLC, an executive coaching, consulting and training company dedicated to providing an interpersonal and solutions based approach to high performance Executives, managers, individuals and work teams. On the web at www.visiontoventure.com

bathroom cleaning service Northbrook ..

In The News:

Learn how to act against cybercriminals in 2026 with essential security steps like two-factor authentication, software updates and credit freezing.

Choose between OpenAI releasing Sora text-to-video model, the AI race heating up, or Waymo driverless cars launching in cities across the country

Learn how to set up Google Maps and Apple Maps on your phone to automatically remember where you parked. Step-by-step instructions for enabling location services and parking detection.

Phishing scammers use rnicrosoft.com domain to impersonate Microsoft by replacing "m" with "rn" in typosquatting attacks that steal login credentials.

OpenAI announces new teen safety rules for ChatGPT users under 18, blocking romantic roleplay and requiring extra caution on body image topics.

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

The Top Ten Methods to Create a Successful Work Team

Team Building