4 Qualities of a Productive Team

Humans are pack animals and we are likely to do some tasks in teams. Whether large or small teams, we interact with others to accomplish goals for our families, professions and communities. When creating or participating in a team, pay close attention to these qualities to ensure that you are engaged in a healthy and productive team.

Implied in my description of a productive team is a level of health and mutual engagement. A dictatorship where people are being ordered without real input is not a team. A team is a group of people coming together to accomplish a common project or goal. It can be the family coming together in order to purchase the needed groceries for the week or a management team working toward a business goal or project.

For the sake of this discussion, I will be focusing on a team of professionals working toward a common goal. There are 4 qualities that productive teams have in common. Teams that embody these qualities tend to excel and enhance the members in profound ways over time.

The 4 Qualities of a Productive Team are:

1. Each member is free to make choices and have a sense of control and engagement in the focus and direction of the project.
2. Creativity is encouraged and use of subversive measures to create own design and process are encouraged as an avenue to explore and reach goals without relation to a preconceived notion or box/paradigm.
3. There is individual buy-in to the larger group mission and vision while the project has meaning to each member. The group and the project is important to the individual.
4. There is psychological safety within the group. Each member has equitable time to share and process ideas and input. No member has fear of being belittled or ridiculed or dismissed when sharing ideas or comments. The group can only move forward to the level of psychological safety within the group.

Each productive group or team has leadership and the leadership is aware and sensitive to the basics of human connection and desire to serve or help others. It is hen these natural desires are allowed to come forth that the team thrives and excels beyond what is expected.

Within each productive and viable team is an equitable distribution of responsibilities toward the goal. Distinguished Leaders are able to see the entire group as a unit moving toward a goal rather than a bunch of individuals working individually and then attempting to put together individual work to appear like it was a group effort.

In a world where thriving is increasingly important to people, simply getting by is old news. Current news is about making a difference and exercising our freedom of choice rather than being paralyzed by some uncertain fear.

The secret sauce for success is paying attention and being willing to do what needs to be done for the greater good of the group and others. As a leader of productive groups, you see what needs to be done and you do it in alignment with the vision and mission. Being the mentor or role model has tremendous opportunity within it to inspire and educate those who desire to learn and serve from a more influential vantage point.

Productive teams are in sports and business.

As a team, we thrive when we are psychologically safe, have input regarding actions and when we have a voice. Where there is chaos or discord, success and attainment of goals becomes elusive and difficult. Choose the 4 qualities of a productive team as the foundation for your success and build from here!

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