Team Culture: The Characteristics of an Effective Working Group
One thing that all successful businesses will have is a strong team culture. If your team isn’t working
in a synchronized and harmonious manner then you will find it hard to be successful. But what
makes up an effective working group? There are lots of factors that play into a team being
successful. Here are the characteristics that a successful team should have:
Respect
Respect in a team is absolutely key. If you don’t respect the people you are working with, then how
are you going to put your trust in them? No matter what people’s backgrounds, preferences etc. are,
there must be some sort of level of respect. You are having to spend a lot of your time
communicating with these people, and while you don’t have to like them, you do have to respect
them.
Communication
Communication is an important aspect of team culture. It may even be the most important aspect. If
you don’t have open communication with a group then it is highly unlikely that you will be
successful. Everyone in the team should feel comfortable enough to share their ideas and opinions
with the rest of the group. If this isn’t the case, then at best you can hope to be mediocre.
Problem Solving
Problem-solving alongside conflict management is another characteristic of effective team culture.
There is always going to be some sort of conflict/arguing in a team, it is only natural. How you deal
with it will define how successful you and your team will be. If you have clearly set out procedures
on how to deal with problems then you will be much better set for success.
Team Culture: Collaboration
For a team to work, there needs to be collaboration. An effective manager will be able to identify
everyone’s different skills and strengths, fit them all together with the rest of the team and then
watch it flow harmoniously. Once you get a collaborative culture right, a team will become much
more flowing and synchronized.
Common Goals
The term “team” is defined as “come together to reach a common goal”. So if your team are all
working towards separate objectives, then you aren’t really a team at all. Make sure that everyone
in your group knows what they are working for and towards. Even if a single member of the team is
not on board to achieve that goal, it will cause problems for the rest of the group.