Tuesday, November 20, 2018

The qualities of a good team

We're all part of a team in some capacity, and we all depend on each other for success. In my professional experience the better the team, the more successful the outcome of that team, and the happier the individuals on that team are. A good team can be hard to come by, and in my opinion should consist of these qualities:
  • Teammates should feel like friends that hang out during work hours, friendly banter is common and sometimes they even become friends outside of work.
  • They support each other in their goals. Example: You want to be better at "X"? Cool I can help with that, have you read these resources or tried these things?
  • Knowledge is shared freely and without judgement. This way everyone can benefit from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and the "fear of asking a stupid question" isn't an issue.
  • Honest feedback is shared between everyone (openly or in private depending on the content). This is essential to improving yourself and each other. Being the recipient of feedback shouldn't make you defensive, take it as an opportunity to improve and thank them for the feedback.
  • Have each other's backs. If you hear someone complaining about a colleague, maybe you could suggest they share that feedback with them directly? How can they improve if they aren't aware of any issues?
  • Trust should be default. This means assuming the best until confirmed otherwise.
  • They openly collaborate and don't just work in silos.
  • Conflicts are resolved in a professional manner.
  • From the perspective of outsiders, the team should "speak with one voice". None of this "but I talked to Joe and he said something else".
For me many of these qualities define a good or bad team, manager, or colleague. As you read this, do you think you are part of a good team?

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