Building a Team Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

Vital components of any winning team

The coach of any championship team is unlikely to tell you their success is the result of smart trades and big budgets. More likely, you'll hear about the teamwork that made them greater than the sum of its parts. Certainly, it has a lot to do with how well the leader motivates and the kind of behavior their style and ability inspires in their team. Here are some components you'll need to increase the odds of building your own winning team:

Mission:
Give your team a vital or dramatic reason for being. This can include creating a group identity to unite them, casting the team as a hero in this pursuit, and the challenge they must overcome will act as the enemy. This struggle can be the catalyst for great things to come.

Conflict:
Promote healthy conflict within your team. Pushing for a consensus without allowing new or conflicting ideas into the discussion defeats the purpose of having a diverse team. A team culture that promotes open conflict and sharing ideas is essential for success.

Organization:
Give the right person the right job. It's smart to surround yourself with brilliant individuals and differing perspectives, but if you don't organize them correctly what's the point? Give each a job that allows their skill to make the biggest impact towards your goals.

Inclusion:
Make every member part of the process. If you have senior roles on your team, make them part of how the team operates so they can lead and still give junior members a say. In the end it's still your team and you have to be confident in making the final decision.

Risk:
Encourage them to take smart, calculated risks. Leaving your comfort zone will encourage them to do the same and allow greater potential for success. Encouraging risks also means you can't punish the team for trying and failing. Remember confidence can come from success, but wisdom comes from failure.

Exclusivity:
You can give them quite an ego-boost from making your team feel like they are a special group within your company. Although it may sound juvenile, this boost can give them a chance to move your company in unique ways. Just don't take this too far or your team will not integrate well with the rest of your employees.

There will always be internal and external factors that are out of your control. A team is made up of individuals with unique circumstances, experiences, and capabilities which are sometimes manageable and other times should be given free reign. There are a lot of stars that have to align, which is why a great team is such an accomplishment and can be so gratifying to see in action.