Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common goal. Andrew Carnegie.
A successful team needs a clear goal, and as a leader, you will give them a clear goal up front. From this the team members are able to clarify what are meaningful outcomes.
The clearer the goal or objective of the team, the clearer their direction will be, and the clearer their focus for their efforts and for working together.
The earlier you do this as the leader, the more focused the team will be over the long run.
And the more involved they are in agreeing on the team goals, the more ownership there will be. The more ownership, the more commitment to the goals.
It’s important to recognize the fact that if a team is to be successful, each team member must be willing to make the team goals 1st priority and their personal goals 2nd, and this includes you, the leader.
A team is a small group of people with complimentary skills, committed to a common mission, and common goals, and a strategy to which they hold each other accountable.
So, to lead a successful team, have a clear mission, goal and strategy up front.
The mission gives each team member something that is bigger than themselves, bigger than the present, and bigger than their world. This is the mission/the purpose/the cause you give them. They want to believe in and be a part of something that has meaning.
The goals are the performance measures, the milestones, on the road to fulfilling the mission and the vision.
The strategy is the implementable plan you have decided to get from here to there.
Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Andrew Carnegie - industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and is often identified as one of the richest people (and richest Americans) in history.
