How Teamwork Boosts Productivity

90% of leaders think their teams are effective. Only 15% actually are. Where do you fall? If you've been struggling with team performance, I've got a framework that transformed my own leadership approach. The traditional way to build teams focuses on individual performance. We hire for skills, evaluate based on output, and reward personal achievement. But this approach misses something critical: true high-performance comes from how people work together, not just how skilled they are individually. In my experience leading multiple teams across different industries, I've found a simple but powerful approach: 1. Establish Clear Goals  Not just what needs to be done, but why it matters. When team members understand the purpose behind their work, motivation soars. 2. Foster Open Communication Create an environment where everyone feels safe to share ideas, concerns, and feedback. The best solutions often come from unexpected voices. 3. Emphasize Collaboration Set up systems that reward collective achievements over individual heroics. This shifts the focus from "me" to "we." 4. Celebrate Diversity Different perspectives lead to better decisions and more creative solutions. Actively seek out and value varying viewpoints. 5. Lead by Example Show the behaviors you want to see. If you want collaboration, collaborate. If you want open communication, communicate openly. High-performing teams don't happen by accident. They're built intentionally. What's one team-building practice that's worked well for you? ✍️ Your insights can make a difference! ♻️ Share this post if it speaks to you, and follow me for more.

What would happen if your team was 2X more productive overnight? Over 20+ years of studying and practicing organizational and team performance, I’ve observed how one truism emerges time and again: Successful teams focus on their team’s work AND their teamwork. That teensy little difference turns out to make a HUGE difference. Last week, I had the opportunity to present on the psychology of teams to a pair of classes at the Questrom School of Business, Boston University. Starting from middle school and continuing through grad school, we ask students to complete team projects. This is a reasonable facsimile considering how we approach work in the modern workplace. Yet just like in real-world work teams, student teams are often plagued with poor performance, woeful engagement, and at their worst, a threat to team member wellbeing. Being part of a dream team doesn’t happen automatically. We have to work at it. In my guest lecture, I wanted to help these undergrad team members. I offered a simple framework that allowed each student to boost their self-awareness regarding their preferred working style, make note of different preferences among their team members, and visualize the collective style of their full team. Sound simplistic? I’ll bet your team hasn’t properly done this. Few have. Thankfully, these students took full advantage of the opportunity. We had a great conversation about the implications, and they asked great questions about team dynamics. When I received this bit of feedback from a student, I thought my heart would burst with joy: “I have already implemented your team building activity into another team I started working with recently and it has doubled our productivity so far.“ Wow. This result is possible for each of us. We don’t have to suffer through poor team experiences, but we do have to take the necessary simple-but-powerful steps that will allow our teams to realize our true potential. 📈 PS - If you want to learn more about the exercise I used (inspired by the Team Discovery tools from The Predictive Index), dm me. Self-Coaching Questions: > Where is my team performance and/or experience lacking? > How are my own working preferences not being satisfied when working with my team? #Leadership #Teamwork #Productivity #TeamBuilding #Performance #Results #TalentOptimization #EnlightenedLeadership

📝 I used to think that great teams were born, not made. That some people just had that innate chemistry and coordination. But through my experience, I've learned that teamwork is a skill that can be cultivated and honed over time. At a certain startup, the sales and marketing teams had historically worked in silos, each focused on their own metrics and goals. But new leadership recognized the need for greater collaboration. They invested in training workshops to help the teams develop their skills in communication, empathy, and joint strategizing. The results were transformative. The sales reps started sharing real-time customer insights with the marketing team, who then refined campaigns and content to better address pain points. Meanwhile, the marketing team provided the sales staff with powerful new tools and messaging to engage prospects more effectively. The two departments started meeting regularly, aligning on objectives, and holding each other accountable. They celebrated wins together and supported each other through challenges. The positive energy was palpable. Within a year, that company saw a 28% increase in qualified leads, a 19% boost in conversion rates, and a 15% uptick in customer retention. But the real victory was in the cultural shift – the sales and marketing teams had truly become partners, inspiring and motivating one another. It was a textbook example of how teamwork can transform a business. Follow me for more insights related to digital marketing. #team #culture #teamwork #sales #marketing