The Top 5 Factors Driving Team Effectiveness
The Top 5 Factors Driving Team Effectiveness
From tall ships to Slack channels, teams are most effective when key factors are in place.
“England is under threat of invasion, and though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home. This ship is England.”
Thus spoke the great Captain Aubrey at the climax of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the 2003 film centers on the HMS Surprise, a British frigate locked in protracted combat with a substantially more powerful French privateer. Shortly before entering the final engagement, Aubrey addresses his crew. By reminding his sailors of the stakes of the conflict and the outsized importance of their individual efforts, he bolsters their morale and inspires them to perform their best in the effort to come.
Granted, most Project Managers won’t engage in naval warfare or confront militant dictators with aspirations of global dominance. Nevertheless, maintaining an effective team is paramount, and teams are most effective when the following five factors are in place… factors that would certainly be familiar to the likes of Captain Aubrey.
Dependability: Are the people on your team fulfilling their responsibilities and meeting their targets? If not, there’s a good chance the blame falls on you, especially if the project is in its early stages. As a Project Manager, you have to be able to clearly communicate expectations. And not only that: the team also has to feel comfortable negotiating with you when needed.
Structure and Clarity: These are two sides of the same coin. When a team is properly structured, the members of that team have a clear understanding of their job expectations and knowledge of how to meet them. But it doesn’t stop there. They also have to understand the consequences of their performances. Nothing happens in a vacuum, least of all the activities of your team.
Meaning: We hear a lot about this one, but it bears repeating. When the members of your team find a sense of purpose either in the work itself or in the results of the work, it makes a world of difference. Some of that is outside of your control, but anything you can do to connect your people with the tasks they perform will pay dividends in the long run.
Impact: Remember that motivational speech from the beginning? A huge part of your role as Project Manager is helping individual teammates identify how they drive impact. This is one of several ways in which project tracking tools can come in handy. Helping people visualize progress and impact is the first step toward being… well… progressive and impactful!
Psychological Safety: Last but not least, you’ll know you’ve hit the sweet spot when teammates feel comfortable taking risks around each other. Bonus points if they’re seeking out differing opinions and proactively resolving interpersonal conflict when it comes up.
We’re all human at the end of the day. The more we can keep that little zoological classification front and center, the smoother the sailing and the happier and more effective the sailors.
To your stations, comrades.