I am guessing you have a team that you work with. Is it a good team? You may be the leader, the senior person, the workhorse, or the newbie, but you know well enough that a team is only successful when all members do their part and feel everyone else is also doing their part. So, you may feel it is a great team, but could it be better?

I am not here to answer that last question. That is up to you.

I have pulled together, what I call, “Four Factors for a Fantastic Team.” Without these four things, I’m not sure a team is truly “great.” Here are my thoughts.

Four factors for a fantastic team

1. The team members all have to be on the same page from a goals perspective. Is the team responsible for increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, or engaging employees? Are you on a team where the underlying goal is to raise revenue? Perhaps the priority is to provide services to customers/clients and your role is to make more of that happen through finding more money, but the core focus is to deliver a product or service. You all need to be on the same page and understand the goals—the ground rules. Once you are all on-board with that, the team can function.
2. There needs to be trust. If there is not 100% trust among team members, it will not function at its possible best.
3. Welcome conflict. Team conflict is inevitable. There will always be someone who has a differing opinion. Listen and embrace the discussion. Be open-minded, then come to a consensus as a team. If you have the conflicting idea, share it well, and accept the will of the team in the end.
4. Be good listeners. Too often, team members talk but no one really listens. There is a reason we have two ears and one mouth. Listen to understand, don’t listen to respond. Listen, comprehend, process, and then respond. A good listening tool in team scenarios is to repeat what is being said so that it is clear what someone is saying.

What do you think are key factors for making a great team? Maybe it’s some of the ones I highlighted or perhaps you have others. I would love to know!

Brent Barootes has spent almost 35 years in the sponsorship marketing industry, developing and delivering profitable sponsorship programs that result in returns on investment for non-profits, charities and other properties and rights holder as well as sponsors. As President and CEO of the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists® he leads a dedicated team of professionals delivering measurable results for their clients.