Building teams with Purpose and Winning

 


Teams are the most important building block of projects, organizations, sports teams and their performance ultimately decide overall success. An important goal of a leader is to develop winning happy teams which contribute desired results. Effective team building is a critical skill for a leader to develop and here are 13 ways to build wining harmonious teams.

Team Selection

The first step of leaders is to select the right team. The skill set needed for every project is different, so it is absolutely imperative that the right team players are on boarded. Selection of a team is an art and requires some intuition along with logic. We have seen in sports like cricket, football that selection of the team is crucial for victory. There are some sports teams full of superstars and still lose because a team does not require all superstars it is more about attitude, team bonding and sacrificing for the larger cause.

Team Vision

Once the team is selected an exciting vision is crucial for keeping the team engaged. This is where leadership is crucial. When the team knows what they are working towards it increases commitment from team members and they feel like contributing to a larger goal which helps keep the team together when the going gets tough. Vision provides meaning to project teams and gives them a target/purpose to aim at. People are more engaged when they know the purpose of their work for the larger cause.

Team Bonding

Once the vision is clear the next step is for the team to bond together. Camaraderie within the team always leads to better results. Team members should know each other for not only their work-related items but personal stories should be shared between the team for bonding to flourish. Anything that gets the team together on a non-work environment helps team bonding.

Team Meetings

It is important to have weekly/monthly meetings where each team member discusses what they accomplished that week and what they plan for next week. What this communication does is give awareness on what others are doing and also helps in improving performance. It also helps understand where everyone is going as a team and can help in bench-marking performance.

Feedback

Continuous feedback is necessary to make the team aware of what is being done well and what can be done better. Regular candid feedback on a periodic basis is critical to team performance. Feedback can be positive and also help in identifying areas of improvement. Feedback should be done both ways i.e. the team leader soliciting input on areas of improvement from the team as well as providing input to enhance performance for the team. This promotes trust.

Rewards and Recognition

There are a lot of theories that intrinsic motivation does work, and external rewards may not work but I still think that the number one desire for everyone is the desire to feel important. One of the ways to achieve this is praise in public. Yes, sometimes the rewards need not be told upfront but can be provided after the event. Praise needs to be immediate so that the individuals/team knows the reason for that praise. Catch teams doing things right so that the same performance is repeated.

Team Consistency

While changes are always to be welcomed unnecessary chopping and changing team members on the fly lead to disharmony within the team. However, even if something goes wrong when the team leader keeps faith in the troops it provides others hope to not be disillusioned by failure. Ensure team chopping is kept at a minimum and the core team is intact over a long period of time promoting consistency, harmony and eventually better results.

Co-elevation of Team

This term is from the wonderful book Leading without Authority by Keith Ferrazzi and Noel Weyrich. This is the state where leaders are made through trust and bonding and not just through title or position. This is an ideal state where there are no boundaries and no silos. This principle is all about self-organized teams. This is the ultimate state where all the team members work with each other, collaborate and don't compete with each other.

Psychological Safety

This is the term coined by the expert Amy Edmondson. The basic thesis is organizations need to create a climate where everyone is free to express their views without being ridiculed. A leader can create a nurturing environment where all voices are heard while welcoming dissent and as Jim Collins says conducting autopsies without blame. Once this climate of trust is built and friction between the members of the team is reduced creativity will flourish.

Role Clarity

Even great teams can stumble without clarity of roles and responsibilities. Each member should know what is expected of them and how their individual contribution ties into the larger mission. Clear roles reduce overlaps, prevent confusion, and increase accountability.

Diversity and Inclusion

Winning teams thrive when members bring different perspectives, experiences, and strengths. Leaders who value diversity in thought, background, and style create an environment where fresh ideas surface and blind spots are reduced. Inclusion ensures all voices are heard and valued.

Continuous Learning

Sustainable success is only possible when teams learn and adapt. Building mechanisms for training, knowledge sharing, and reflection helps teams stay ahead. A culture of learning turns every setback into a lesson and every win into a model to repeat.

Resilience

No team wins all the time—how a team recovers from losses, failures, or setbacks defines long-term greatness. Leaders must instill resilience by encouraging adaptability, optimism, and bouncing back stronger after challenges. Resilient teams remain motivated even under pressure.

To conclude team harmony is the most important element of winning teams. The job of a leader is to coordinate the efforts of various individuals and pull them together through a well-crafted vision which inspires, motivates and gets the team to perform well beyond their capabilities. There you have it the 13 ways to build winning teams. Thanks for reading this post.

The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.


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