Hello all, sorry if you have noticed I wasn’t posting everyday like I normally would. For the last one week plus, this topic had been the most dominant topic in my mind. We had a training scheduled with one of the most prominent departments in one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunication companies, it had to be right. I have been so busy trying to ensure that our standards were right that I have not had time to update you on goings-on.
The event finally took place, we had the Team Effectiveness Workshop on Thursday and Friday at IITA, Ibadan. All the participants as well as the facilitators were lodged at the hotel, arguably one of the most decent, natural and serene in Nigeria (I haven’t been paid to sing their praises, so let me take it easy). The workshop commenced on Thursday afternoon, we continued till some minutes to ten and started again 8am the next morning till after 4pm. From the comments(both written and verbal) from the participants, we had delivered exceptional value. I personally felt very honoured, when one of the Nigerians I respected and had looked forward to seeing, shook my hands after the training and told me that the whole exercise had been a job well done. Wow!
What do you consider as a team? There are many terms that are used to describe a team, they range from terms like group, synergy, cooperation, whole>sum, working together, having a common boss, having a common aim e.t.c. If you however look at all of these definitions, the only one characteristic that makes for an effective team is having a common aim. A group may not be working as a team, synergy of efforts might not be towards a common aim, and hence not a team. A team is a group of people with a common aim, cooperating together to achieve excellent results. Think about all the groups you have been a part of… were you really a team?
Once the definition of team is aligned, we then need to put some things in place to ensure that a team is effective. In defining an effective team, there are 6 attributes that characterise and effective team. These six items are like segments of a tyre, every part of the model supports the other and keep the team moving forward. The objective of any team effectiveness workshop is to ensure that these 6 elements become ingrained into the mind set of teams and furnishes them with the capacities to deploy these characteristics in executing team projects.
1. Direction – The first thing any group of people gathered together to form a team must have is direction. Where are we going? Why are we going? What is our vision? What do we want to achieve, what is our objective? These are all necessary questions before a team begins execution. A team must have a vision – A picture of the future described in present terms. A stretch energizing statement about what one desires the future to be. Direction needs to be set, and clearly too. Moving forward as a team happens because all the members of the team are committed to a vision. It is not about the leader, it is not about self aggrandizement, it’s about the vision.
2. Leadership – Every team needs a leader! Someone needs to be responsible for the results of the team, someone needs to be in charge. The role of a leader involves envisioning, energizing, enabling, engaging and executing…
It’s after midnight, and I need to get something done early in the morning. I will be completing this depending on the general interest I observe.
