Elements That Every Good Team Needs to Have

Workplace teamwork is important to your company’s success. Companies that are looking to create effective teams should look at how successful sports teams are structured to get an idea of the elements that every good team requires. When a sports team is put together properly, it has the chance to become a champion. When your workplace team is structured as it should be, then your company has the chance to be the best in the industry.

Roleplayers

When you look at the structure of a sports team, you will see that every player has a particular position that he is good at. Some players are able to play several positions very well, but the team only needs those players to play one position at a time. For example, a player may be able to play shortstop, third base and second base, but the team only needs him to play second base because the other positions are covered.

Your workplace team should be structured the same way. Your manager needs to figure out what positions need to be filled and then he needs to fill those positions with qualified personnel. A good team is a unit that functions because each part knows his job and can do that job well. When you have the right role players filling the right positions, then you have a strong team.

The Manager

It is extremely difficult for some companies to understand the concept behind an effective departmental manager. That is why the sports analogy is so helpful. A baseball manager is not on the field making plays. He is in the dugout calling out signals and helping his players to succeed. Your workplace manager should be the same way. He should be a mentor-type figure that helps determine what tasks each employee needs to fulfill and he should also be getting the employees the materials they need to succeed. The manager trains and inspires the team, but it is not usually his job to go out and perform.

The Field General

In baseball, the manager sends out signals and the leaders on the field make sure those signals are executed. Your workplace team is structured the same way. There are leaders within your team that work closely with the manager to make sure everything gets done than needs to get done. When the manager needs people to make sure that the team is running smoothly, he will turn to his veteran employees to help the rest of the staff get their jobs done properly.

The Game Plan

Every team needs a game plan in order to succeed. The manager develops the game plan, and then he relies on the field generals and the rest of the team to make sure that the plan is executed properly. A workplace game plan is a comprehensive direction set by the company that the manager is charged with turning into a reality. Without a good game plan, your team will not know what is expected of it and it will not have any idea if it has reached its goals or not.