Enthusiastic, persistent or dexterous are some of the attributes of any winning team. What makes a team builder successful is his ability to put together high performing and effective teams whose collective interests are aligned with that of the organization. A proficient and well-coordinated team plays a vital role towards the accomplishment of any short or long-term goal of the organization. Every team has a different potential, and it is essential that they constantly focus on testing their limits.

In the early days we used to have defined hierarchies and rigid KRA’s, weekly reviews appreciated good work and put-up performance charts that produced consistent and significant results. This organization structure and review mechanisms, if not completely but to a larger extent may not be relevant anymore. The size and complexity of teams have changed to keep up with customer demands.

The Necessity

We are in the midst of the biggest economic revolution. Team builders and their teams have their tasks cut out for them, as customers are far more connected and are much more cognizant of their options. Hence giving them the power of ‘Choice’. With the influx of data available on the internet, they are also aware to an extent on the solutions they require.

Team leaders will have to build teams that provide more intangible value and be more relevant to a customer by understanding their business issues and solving them by offering solutions that reduce their turnaround to their customers.

Technologies like Block Chain, Machine Learning, AI, IOT, Facial Recognition, Automation, Cloud and managed services are the most talked about solutions. The customer is only willing to listen to ‘value’ based conversations and not just cost based discussions. There is a compelling need for leaders and their teams to re-skill and deliver this value proposition.

The leader will also need to understand that while he brings about this change, there is a cascading effect on the sales cycle. He will have to re-design the way he forecasts and structures the team, maintains a balance and also keeps the team motivated. He must be able to create an experience for his teams and make them understand the overall purpose of the organizational goals at a more personal level. He must learn to empathize.

The Analogy

“Once an elephant, lion, baboon and a squirrel were stuck in an unknown jungle. The squirrel said, let us split up and try to fend for ourselves. The Baboon was quick to reply, “I don’t agree with that, we should stay together, this will give us a better chance of survival and one of us must be the leader”. They decided to take turns and post their tenure it was noted that the squirrel was a great organizer and had an eye for details. She was good at finding shelter, collecting food and storing it. The lion was fierce and lead with authority, the elephant was a good listener, would empathize and had a calming effect. The Baboon was cheerful, energetic and made sure everyone had a good time when he was around.”

What did the animals do? Will they choose each other or learn from each other?

To be an effective team builder, it is important to learn from the example displayed by this majestic species.

The Wayforward

Teams of the future will have to be dynamic, technology savvy and work with other interconnected teams to respond to the changing demands from customers and meet the common objectives of the organization. They must be able to disrupt in accordance with the changing times. By bringing in this change, they will be far more innovative and smarter than teams in a traditional structure.

In order to be successful in today’s times, organizations and team leaders must implement sales processes that help them extract insights and respond to customers at the right time with the right solution. The processes and tools implemented to derive insights must be monitored and followed. A good sales process will bring about accountability across the sales team.

Team builders must fundamentally re-think the way they work. They must encourage teams to share ideas, mentor them, inspire and lead from the front. They should also have the courage to own up responsibility in the event their strategies fail. Let us not forget that teams are made by putting together individuals. Team builders must identify the right person with the right skill for the right task and build accountability across the board. They must practice “Supportive Leadership”.

Conclusion

A leader is not equivalent to sitting behind a glorified desk and delegating work, on the contrary he must be willing to take responsibility, inspire and be a major contributor to the team.