Secrets of a successful team. Creating a successful team How to properly create a team for company management

A good startup team can build a successful company. But how to assemble such a team or grow it from an existing one? Appster startup Joseph Humphrey tells the story.

Building a strong and effective team of people plays a huge role in opening a successful business. A study by CB Insights showed that 25% of startups fail because of a bad team.

“The most important thing an entrepreneur must create is a good team. This is what I spend all my time creating.”

Co-founder of the Y Combinator accelerator Paul Graham also warns that building a startup alone is extremely difficult:

“Starting a company is too difficult for one person. Even if you can do everything yourself, you still need colleagues who will suggest ideas, ask stupid questions and encourage you in case of failure... But do not forget that very often conflicts arise between startup founders. In 20% of the startups we worked with, one of the founders always left. Most of the disagreements could be avoided if people initially thought about who they were going to start a startup with. People are the most important component of a startup, so there is no compromise here.”

So, colleagues determine the future fate of your business - how to choose them correctly and grow them into an effective team? Here are some tips.

1. Set an example for others

If you are the leader of a startup and want others to believe in your idea and think like you, you can only do this if you set a good example.

The following diagram clearly shows how one person's attitude and behavior affects others:

Your attitude influences your behavior, which in turn influences the attitudes and behavior of your colleagues.

You must set the right example for your team. The way you talk, act and think directly affects the confidence, commitment and enthusiasm of your people.

2. Team building activities only work when done correctly.

Few employees like team building activities, but, as analysts have found, they can really have an impact. positive effect on the team, in particular to improve the level of trust, coordination and communication.

There is no need to engage in team building in unnatural situations. If you've ever told your team that next weekend you'll be doing team building in the woods and seen people roll their eyes, then you know what I mean about unnatural situations.

Good team building activities take place in a normal and familiar environment. Volunteer work, sports, recreational trips, lunches together are all examples of suitable conditions for natural team building.

3. Meetings kill productivity.

The importance of a team can hardly be overestimated, because it is people who determine the success of the company in which they work. Let us recall Jim Collins's study in the book Good to Great, where the primary task of successful companies was precisely the formation of an effective team.

“Those who have created great companies understand that the main accelerator of growth is not the market, not technology, not competition, not products. The factor that is more important than all others is the ability to find and retain the people the company needs.” J. Collins

Today we will talk about how to create a dream team in your company, looking in detail at the key steps to success in team building.

Without which there is no dream team

Before you claim that the perfect team is a myth, we suggest checking your company for the following elements, which, as a rule, are the components of a dream team.

1. Proper distribution of roles

The famous business consultant Itzhak Adizes identified 4 key roles in the management process. This model is so universal that it can also be applied to team building. Let's look at the key roles that team members can perform:

• The producer of results is the performer. Actually the one who creates the product (or services) in the company. He knows perfectly the nuances of development and technology, and follows the latest inventions in his industry so that he can successfully implement them into his own work.
• Administrator - controller. He is also a manager. Often a perfectionist. Monitors all details of the process. Analyzes the situation and plans for the future. Organized. Asks a lot of questions about the case, looking for pitfalls.
• Entrepreneur - ideological inspirer. Generates new ideas and is not afraid to take risks. Develops a strategy for the direction of the company’s activities, its development, and the development of new prospects. An entrepreneur has a kind of “gift of forecasting” - he senses trends and market sentiments, as a result of which the company creates projects that are “high-impact”.
• Integrator - “superglue”. The team unites. He will always listen, understand, try to help, convey the team’s ideas to management and do everything to bring them to life. As a rule, he is a mass entertainer who organizes all kinds of corporate events, collective meetings and meetings.

2. Interesting tasks and projects

People are interested in showing their abilities and discovering something new in themselves. They like to work on something that excites them. And when projects are completely carbon copies and do not require new knowledge and self-improvement, in such cases the routine not only extinguishes the light in the eyes of employees, but also kills the team spirit, and as a result, the company itself.

3. Clear goals

Vagueness is the enemy of results and efficiency. Before setting a task for your team, formulate your goals. They must meet four simple requirements: be specific, measurable, time-bound, and consistent with the overall concept of the project. And, of course, the goal must be achievable - otherwise, why waste the team’s time on a doomed project?

“There would be a goal, and a chain of trial and error would itself lead to desired result» H. Murakami

4. Comfortable environment

Labor productivity increases in cases where all conditions for work are created: a cozy office, nice atmosphere, coffee and tea in unlimited access, and, of course, tasty treats :-)

5. Equipment suitable for the task

You can, of course, try to develop something super innovative using outdated tools, but the result is unlikely to please you. Provide your team with powerful equipment that is a pleasure to work on - and believe me, your employees will thank you with impressive implementation of the tasks assigned to them.

6. Cohesion and “team spirit”

Naturally, the existence of a dream team is impossible without cohesion and unity, without a certain “team spirit” that unites and spurs employees to conquer new heights.

7. Understanding career development

Agree, few people are ready to come to work every day and mark time in one place, knowing that today’s position is the ceiling of their career. Therefore, it is necessary to give employees a clear understanding that they have room for growth.

8. Reward

The remuneration policy includes not only the financial part (bonuses, bonuses and other options for monetary motivation). Employees need to be praised, both privately and publicly. Most people are vain and really want their pride to be stroked and their merits to be recognized. In psychology there is such a thing as “stroking” - all kinds of compliments, a smile, the same praise, as well as physical contact(for example, pat on the shoulder, shake hands, if appropriate, hug).

Problems on the way to building a dream team

It’s not enough just to pick the right people and give them a job. Man is a complex creature, and the totality of people is even more complex. That is why not all companies manage to create their own dream teams, because a simple misunderstanding of psychology and needs, incorrect distribution of roles, as well as many other factors can force even the most highly qualified specialist to work carelessly. Let's look at what's standing in the way of your dream team:

1. Misunderstanding of task priorities

Confusion is your biggest enemy. When there is no clear understanding of which tasks need to be done first and which can wait, time is wasted, and this is terribly annoying. Free your employees from this irritation and help them effectively distribute their work time— set clear priorities in the tasks assigned to them.

“To be able to manage means not to interfere good people work" L. Kapitsa

2. Wrong goal setting

“The slowest man who does not lose sight of his goal is still more agile than the one who wanders without a goal” G. E. Lessing

3. Wrong distribution of roles

Don’t assign an employee a role that doesn’t suit them! Analyze what a person does best and give him appropriate tasks. Develop skills, encourage abilities.

4. Lack of an influential, charismatic team leader

Giving authority to lead a team is not everything. It is extremely important that the leader is not just formally appointed, but truly enjoys authority among his wards. Management is an art, don't put it in the wrong hands.

5. Lack of understanding of career prospects

The career ladder should be transparent - employees should know that they will receive the desired promotion for their efforts, initiative and achievements.

6. Routine and boring projects

Not only creatives and other creative workers need to be periodically “fed” with projects in which their imagination and talents can run wild. Even techies to the core need variety and challenging tasks where they can show their abilities. The monotony and dullness will appeal only to robots or zombies.

7. Lack of motivating factors

If you don't reward employees for their efforts, good results and in general, if you take them for granted, rest assured that they will soon leave you. And if they stay, they will be extremely unhappy and stop trying. And certainly the dream team in this case will only turn into a myth.

8. Conflicts and disagreements between team members

Naturally, there is no need to require employees to communicate with each other in a “mimimi” style. It is normal if disagreements arise while working on a project - as Socrates said: “Truth is born in dispute.” But it is very important that these same disputes do not lead to destructive consequences and do not cause a split in the team into camps, belligerence and other negativity.

How to create a dream team?

1. Distribute roles wisely. From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.
2. Combine business with pleasure - dilute your routine with exciting tasks and projects.
3. Specify the facts and focus on the main thing.
4. Involve in the process - involve in participation in brainstorming sessions, consult with those who know technology better than you.
5. Hold unifying events - corporate outings, holidays, gatherings and conventions help bring employees together in an informal setting, which blurs boundaries and breaks down all communication barriers.
6. Promote growth - literature, trainings, courses. Train and nurture talent.
7. Promote the most profitable projects within the team.

And for dessert, we present to your attention the presentation of our Roman’s report “Dream Teams. Myth or reality?”, which he spoke at the WebCamp 2012 conference in Odessa.

American entrepreneur and legendary CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, once said that at the very moment when, other people become the main factors in his work. And his task is to walk next to them, holding a glass of water in one hand and a bag of fertilizer in the other. The team should be treated like seeds that can break through and become a blooming garden. The purpose of a leader's job is to manage the development of team members.

If you run a business or manage people, you are the leader of a team, and your employees play a huge role in how successful your company is and how long it stays in business. And to achieve success, you need to follow the only true formula - improve the quality of your team. It can be increased only by following effective rules team building.

What is team building?

To begin with, we note that a team is a group of people who are united by common tasks and goals that correspond to the tasks and goals of an organization or company. A team is created under the control of a leader who directs its work, trains its members and creates connections between them.

Thus, the essence of a team is its leader, who is also a mentor and a professional in one person. For the same reason, the leadership that guides the leader is of particular importance. But let's continue...

Over the issue of creating the maximum successful team have been working for decades the best specialists in the field of management, and all managers and businessmen dream of creating such a team.

In general, you can find quite a lot of team building methods, but, as with almost everything in our world, a number of fundamental principles can be applied to this process, which we will talk about later.

So, basic rules Creating a successful team includes the following:

• It is necessary to build a unified communication system and a single language that will allow us to track and understand everything that is happening. This can only be facilitated by building honest and open relationships, which requires the exchange of truthful data. And this, in turn, will become the basis of trusting relationships in the team, as well as the basis for creating and developing an emotional connection. You should always act based on the principles of honesty and a friendly attitude. There should always be confidence that you are doing the right thing, which gives the whole team confidence in success. And an honest exchange of information is necessary for mutual understanding and a positive attitude.
• Employee training should be encouraged and facilitated in every possible way. It is very important that employees always develop both personally and professional level. When there is no sense of growth, then the team stagnates and may be on the verge of extinction. You must always remember that the potential and capabilities of each individual team member are not maximized, and it is your responsibility to help them achieve their potential. Training and development will always contribute to the spirit of searching and introducing innovations.
• It is necessary to create a positive microclimate and cultivate team spirit. Warm and friendly relations should always reign in the team, because the team is practically a family. And this, in turn, suggests that the team also includes family values, such as mutual assistance and the willingness to do a lot to please others. In addition, you need to not only work together, but also relax - this is an indicator of quality relationships, and not just relationships between people within a team.
• It is necessary to stimulate the involvement of team members in the work process and perseverance in achieving team and individual goals. If the commitment and persistence of one is combined with the commitment and persistence of the other, a synergy effect will be achieved, which is the best energy for achieving maximum results.

The four principles presented can be called fundamental in the process of creating a successful team. If you search, you can find different team building strategies, but each of them will have what we just talked about.

But we must not forget about one more thing the most important element The thing that separates an effective team from a mediocre one is loyalty.

Briefly about loyalty

Such a quality as loyalty is not innate, and there are, as a rule, no more than 10% of truly loyal people in society. And this serves as an indicator that loyalty must be created, which requires the team leader to be skillful in any management techniques.

Loyalty itself can be defined in different ways, but most accurately, in relation to the issue of creating a team, it can be characterized as follows: loyalty is the willingness to act on a voluntary basis and without any coercion in accordance with the official and unofficial principles of the team. Moreover, this includes not only diligence, but also the desire to voluntarily do something for the benefit of the team. It is for this reason that we can conclude that if there is no loyalty in the team, then there is no team itself either.

And here is the time to talk about what should not be done to destroy the team.

What can destroy a team?

A team can be destroyed mainly by three factors:

• An oppressive atmosphere leading to indifference among team players regarding work and overall result. When tension reigns in a team, absolutely everyone is “infected” with it, which leads to disastrous consequences
• False communications, which should be understood as inattention of team members to each other and general non-acceptance of ideas. When everyone starts to follow their own line, the entire team game is at risk
• Suppression of initiative, when the feelings of team members are suppressed and not discussed. It is important to understand here that there is no shame in exposing your feelings to everyone, and everyone on the team should talk about their mistakes and problems in their work

Agree that observing and doing everything possible for its effective functioning is not so difficult. The main thing is to be a really good leader, and always focus on the information presented above.

And finally, we would like to cite a few features of team management in some countries.

Managing teams in different countries

In general, in managing teams, a lot is based on the traditions that have developed in this or that country, in this or that region. And team management systems can be divided into:

• "Eastern"
• "Asian"
• "Russian"
• "European-American"

Briefly about each of these systems.

"Eastern" system

The main feature here is the presence of high internal obligations of team members to the company. People in Eastern teams are very hardworking and strive to improve the efficiency of the work process. Responsibility for the result lies with the team. It is also interesting that companies in Eastern countries use an incentive system that is focused on group responsibility.

"Asian" system

The difference in this system is that compliance with company rules and management instructions is unquestioning and is under a kind of protection. Any, even the most insignificant attempt by an employee to act willfully, is strictly, quickly and demonstrably suppressed. The overwhelming majority of Asian teams are closed, the initiative of team members is minimal, and all issues are resolved very slowly.

"Russian" system"

This control system is characterized by coercion. Company employees must do as they are told. It is not customary here to openly express one’s aspirations for better life and outstanding achievements, as well as making dramatic career ups. In most cases, its level is either extremely low, and employees are capable of breaking any rules. For these reasons, management is carried out in a rigid manner.

"European-American" system

This system is also different high level coercion, however, is often disguised. Behind the leader’s smile, his polite voice and desire to listen, most often lies toughness and the ability to quickly put everything in its place. If an employee is careless or lazy, he can end up on the street in the blink of an eye.

These are the most general form features of managing teams in different countries.

YOU ARE ON THE TEAM: Are you a team player? Do you know what role you need to play in a team in order to feel as comfortable as possible and make the greatest contribution to the common cause? If you cannot answer these questions without difficulty, we recommend that you take our self-discovery course, which, in addition to your place in the team, will point out to you many other aspects of your personality that will help you both in team play and in work on the team. . Go ahead and start getting to know yourself (note that the course will be useful not only for those who are interested in team building issues, but also for any other person).

We wish you good luck and a good team!

Being successful does not always mean having personal success. In fact, most of the time we achieve success as part of a group of people. Therefore, I would like to dedicate this article to the secrets of a successful team.

We are all part of a team. Our family is a team. At work we act as a team. Society is also divided into unique teams. Sometimes we lead a team as a leader or "coach", other times we may take the role of a follower or "player". Therefore, it is very important for us to understand the principles of team play. This is especially important for those who want to achieve success.

Over the course of my life, I have been part of both successful teams and teams that were not entirely successful. This also applies physical development, and professional qualities.

Here are a few principles that, as life has shown, if consistently followed, turn any mediocre team into an outstanding one! These principles can and should be applied to your family, business, organization, career and sports team. Enjoy.

Leader in communication.

A leader must shape a worldview. If you set the pace, you need to explain to people where they are going and why, so that the team can follow you. The coach always conducts a pre-game talk explaining the team's strategy.

A leader must continually create a mindset so that the team always knows where they are and what changes are still needed. The coach does not rely only on his instructions before the game, he corrects the actions of his team throughout the game.

Team.

Watch a good basketball team. They talk to each other all the time. They help each other, encourage, praise and advise each other on what needs to be done so that the same mistakes are not repeated. The same goes for any other successful team in the professional world and in life in general.

Perfection.

Strong teams always strive for excellence. Their goal in everything they do is to achieve the highest possible level. This goal is supported by each individual team member throughout the work. A successful team should not have a single member who is not committed to improvement, as after a while he will become the weak link of the team.

Follow-up.

I can recommend a very fascinating and useful book, “The Power of Followership” by Robert Kelley. The author shows that the secret to success lies not only in thoughtful leadership, but also in how the rest of the team (which would be 99 percent of the team) follows their leader. Really good teams consist of people who support their leader and try to do everything that is required of them.

Understanding your role.

Sorry if I'm making an analogy with the Chicago Bulls, but this is a very clear and clear example. When the game came to an end and there was one shot left, every person - the coaches, the players, the 20,000 spectators in the stadium and the millions watching in front of the televisions - knew who would take that final shot. It was Michael Jordan's role.

Any team functions best when each team member knows and understands their role. One does one thing, the other does another. You can’t say that someone is better or more important, he’s just different, he has a different task. When each team member acts according to their strengths and roles, the team as a whole wins.

Strong and weak sides.

Now we come to the advantages and disadvantages. Each team member has their own strengths and weaknesses. A successful team will be one that empowers its members to act according to their strengths. What is an advantage for one team member may compensate for another team member's weakness. This is the essence of teamwork. The rear must always be covered.

Entertainment.

Is your team constantly working and never allowing themselves to rest? If you're smart enough, you'll change it. Let your people get out of the office once a month and have fun.

Enjoy each other's company. Enjoy life. This will unite your people, which does not always happen even during a victory.

Common goals.

I believe they should be short, simple and clear.
Can you formulate and communicate overall goals in less than 30 seconds? Are they simple? Do you understand them? What about others? Does the team know what they are all working for?

Confession.

Throughout the entire “game”, a successful team recognizes the merits of each team member and shows it different ways. The coach praises the players, the players appreciate the coach and recognize the importance of each of them.

Here's a short list of things to consider to set your team up for success:

Is there mutual understanding between the coach and the players and between the players themselves?

Does your team strive for excellence?

Do team members understand what it means to follow a leader?

Do all team members understand their role?

Does each person on your team have the opportunity to show their strengths?

Do you take a break from work to have fun with the whole team?

Do you clearly understand your goals and perspectives? Can everyone formulate them accurately?

Does each member of your team feel recognized for their successes and achievements?

Instructions

First, you need to understand what kind of team your business needs: age, gender, education, work experience. How many people will be needed to achieve the goals. It is important not to make a mistake here - if there are fewer employees than required, then be prepared for constant backlogs and delays in fulfilling orders, which can lead to the loss of customers, and with them, profit. If there are more employees than your business needs, they will have free time, which can also have an adverse effect on work.

Next, you need to create a recruitment advertisement. Describe the vacancy in as much detail as possible; this will subsequently help save time on long and unnecessary conversations with potential candidates. Place your advertisement in newspapers about employment, on the Internet on websites and forums, and other places where it will be read by as many people as possible. Contact your friends - they will probably be able to advise you of someone smart. Having received resumes from candidates, divide your further actions into two stages. First, talk to future employees on the phone, ask a few leading questions that will help determine whether this is “your” person or not. The second stage is to invite everyone you like to an interview. When meeting, ask candidates what results they expect from working with you, what they are willing to sacrifice for the common cause. Communicate what you expect and what you will continually demand from them. This way you can “weed out” those who get a job only to sit for some time in a “quiet” place, and then go in search of a new “harbour”.

The success of the team lies not only in good personnel, but also in the conditions in which they work. Pay attention to whether your team is provided with everything necessary for work. Is the equipment working? Is it comfortable in the office? A lot also depends on comfort - people spend most of the day at work, so it’s important that they want to linger here and not run away quickly.

You expect great results and dedication from your team. Think about what you can give them in return? Include bonuses and bonuses in the cost estimate for completing or exceeding the plan on time. Don't forget to reward your team so they have an incentive to take your business further. But at the same time, do not allow rivalry between employees. A team is when people work together and move towards common goal.

Team cohesion is another important step on the path to success. Make sure that the people working for you become, if not best friends, then good friends. Organize a joint trip to the cinema or bowling alley, corporate parties for the holidays, and field trips. Do such events regularly so that your people can get to know each other not only in a work environment, but also on vacation.

And one more thing - be at one with your team, that is, become not their boss, but a partner, an ally. Show by personal example how each employee should work in order to achieve great results. By gathering like-minded people around you and creating a favorable atmosphere for work, you will create a successful team that will help develop your business and increase profits.