Will your team sink or swim? White water rafting down the Zambezi River requires great teamwork!.

The Holy Grail of any team is to a achieve a special bond of loyalty and pride among their members such that no task is seen as too daunting and anything seems possible. No leader, despite their individual capabilities can thrive without the contribution of their team. The leader’s task is to encourage a sense of ‘esprit de corps’ so that every member can trust, assist and enjoy the achievements of their colleagues. A happy team will sink or swim together.

The team unit is the building block of society and critical to the success or failure of any enterprise. When a skilled and motivated team is working in harmony, great things can happen. There are many examples of teams that achieved the seemingly impossible in their chosen field and here are three of my personal favourites:

• The Manchester United team under Alex Ferguson won thirteen league titles, five FA Cups, four league cups, ten charity shields, two UEFA Champions leagues and four other minor European trophies. It is a record that is unlikely to ever be matched by any other English Premier League club.
• In music, pride of place must go to the Beatles who dominated the charts around world for eight years. They inspired a generation of musicians and fans throughout the world and shaped the future of music for decades to come. Despite their obvious differences in temperament and skills their ‘team’ was the perfect blend of the sum of the parts (including the fifth Beatle George Martin) that made the band such a phenomenal success.
• The most impressive example of teamwork in the history of mankind must belong to the Apollo moon landings. From the announcement in 1961 it took only eight years to achieve the dream. Behind the scenes a team of 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians from more than 20,000 companies and universities made it possible. Even today, people are so amazed at the scale of the achievement that it has spawned a whole industry of conspiracy theorists who believe the event was a Hollywood stunt.

It’s likely that most people will at some stage be faced with the task of building a team during their working careers (whether this be in business, the arts, sport or any other endeavour). I have had the good fortune to have recruited and led several teams in recent years and some had that elusive sense of esprit de corps which made turning up to work an absolute pleasure. Not only did we have incredible fun but we kicked some spectacular goals worthy of David Beckham or Wayne Rooney. Here is my personal formula for creating the ideal team:

1. It’s not all about you! You may be the boss and you may even be the most experienced player in the team, but if you are a glory seeker, your team will see through your façade in an instant. Unless you have the strategic brilliance of Napoleon, the raw magnetism of Barrack Obama or the terrifying nature of Genghis Khan, you are going to rely on the collective skills and hard work of your entire team to get the job done. I am always suspicious of leaders who become ‘Manager of the Year’ in their industry when the only award that matters is ‘Team of the year’. The strongest, most effective managers I have worked with all acted with humility and grace and were respected all the more for it.

2. Create a desirable team culture. The right team culture will depend on the task at hand. But it is hard to go wrong with a ‘work hard, play hard’ Not everyone is a social butterfly, but teams that enjoy each other’s company outside of work are more likely to gel during work hours. A good manager will create several team building opportunities that everyone can enjoy. These events should have a strong sense of purpose to create a memorable experience for the team.

3. Recruit strong team players. I have hired several ‘superstars’ over the years that have disrupted the team and negatively impacted morale. Some employees are so full of their own self-importance that they are unaware how their behaviour knocks the confidence out of the less assertive but equally capable staff. I would rather hire a younger, less experienced person with the right attitude. To recruit a good team player, ensure you have a strong suite of scenario-based interview questions. For example, ‘how would you handle the following situation…?’.

4. Recruit the right capabilities. The ‘right’ capabilities for any team will depend upon the task at hand. In my profession (procurement management) I look for strong communication skills, problem solving capabilities, high levels of energy / drive, excellent soft skills (good emotional intelligence), commercial acumen and team focus.

5. Set clear objectives. Human nature enjoys a challenge. As long as that challenge is clearly stated, is easily measurable and is within their capability, team members are happy to rise to the occasion. Just make sure that the reward for meeting that stretch target is identified up front and is delivered in full on completion.

6. Nurture your team. Each team member will require different levels of support depending upon their level of experience and personal style. A good boss should provide a working environment where serious mistakes are improbable due to good working processes and a supportive culture from their colleagues and manager. When a mistake is made, a good boss will ‘own it’ and use the experience as a learning opportunity without making a drama of the situation.

7. Be a lifelong mentor. You have given your team the very best of your time and imparted your knowledge. You have sent them to the most appropriate training courses and seen them grow into aspiring managers in their own right. You now have a duty to help your former team member take that next step in their career. With luck it will be a role within your own team or with another department in your organisation. However, they may wish to fly the nest to a completely different company. You must view this departure as a positive reflection of your own strengths as a manager and wish them well. They will always be grateful for the part you played in their success.

With your champion team ready to rock and roll, you have all the ingredients to shoot for the moon and kick some goals!

Good luck.