Jun, 26th, 2008

strengthen the foundation of your team: 

· Establish and ensure common goals and
measures are known by everyone

· Create a plan to prevent duplication of
effort and missed tasks and deadlines

· Inspire team members; show appreciation by
rewarding and recognizing accomplishments

· Allow for innovation and risk; accept that
errors will occur

· Communicate; invest in learning and
development; understand your customer needs

· Focus on common goals, priorities, and
problems

· Use humor and add fun to the work
environment

· High performing teams utilize each team
members strengths

· Engage a team coach as needed

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and
intelligence win championships" 

Michael Jordan

Very few feats in humankind are accompished by one
person alone. From the most basic to the most complex,
teamwork is the most common thread in all of them. That
said, teamwork remains a non-trivial challenge to most
teams and organizations. We have to maintain constant
vigil on the health of our teams and how they are
working.

As leaders, we must recognize and appreciate the
individual talents of our people, but always in the
context of their impact on the team and their
contributions towards achieving the team's goals.