The SpaceX team's reaction in February 2012 as the Falcon Heavy makes its way into orbit.

Background

Maybe you have worked in a great team. Sadly, most of us have worked in some terrible ones. Its safe to say that the ability of a team to perform has a massive impact on both the happiness and fulfilment of its members and the success of the company.

In this piece I'm going to look at some attributes of successful teams and then share some ways to nurture these attributes.

Some of the attributes are based on my experience, some on conversation with others and some based on academic research.

Attributes of Successful Teams

Clarity of end goal and roles

1. The end goal that the team is working on is clear to all members.
2. The team feels it is moving towards a shared common goal.
3. Each team member knows what their role is and is completely understands what they need to deliver to be successful.

Trust

(Mayer, 1995; Edmondson, 1999; Rousseau, Sitkin, Burt and Camerer 1998)

1. Team members feel they can be themselves, share ideas, voice criticism and make suggestions without fear of the consequences. Consequences could include ridicule, criticism, looking stupid and so on.
2. Team members feel they can share bad news, negative emotions, and problems within the team. If a team member in distress is able to share their distress, others on the team are more likely to help.
3. No-one worries if team mates will complete their work. Everyone knows that everyone will deliver and if they cannot deliver they tell the team and they get help.