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Top 10 Tips for "Team Building" Success

Written by: Todd Linaman

Article Overview: The Apprentice television show revolves around the premise that a stable of young talent is trying to get a job with Donald Trump. In their endeavors they are challenged with weekly assignments. Be a leader. Sell product. Manage people. Ultimately, their goal is to win. But along the way the most successful candidates also learn something else. And that is without a team, your personal success is limited at best.

Top 10 Tips for "Team Building" Success

The Apprentice television show revolves around the premise that a stable of young talent is trying to get a job with Donald Trump. In their endeavors they are challenged with weekly assignments. Be a leader. Sell product. Manage people. Ultimately, their goal is to win. But along the way the most successful candidates also learn something else. And that is without a team, your personal success is limited at best.

Whether you are responsible for one person or a whole team, there are several very important keys to managing people well. If you are a manager, review the tips below and assess how you’re doing and whether or not you can identify areas for improvement.

If you work under a manager, rate him or her on each of the behaviors below. If appropriate, be willing to offer feedback on how you perceive their effectiveness in the critical areas listed. Be sure to include both positive and negative perceptions – and be prepared to offer reasonable suggestions for how they can help you and your team succeed together.

1. Provide clear and specific direction – If people don’t know what’s expected of them, they won’t know what to do or whether they’re doing a good job. Ambiguity related to job responsibilities and priorities is often a significant source of stress and frustration and is known to decrease performance and productivity.

2. Offer ongoing feedback - If you want your team members to hit the target make sure they know where it is at all times and whether or not they are aiming at the bull’s eye.

3. Balance correction with affirmation – No employee is all good or all bad, so when correction is needed, be specific and don’t water it down. However, discussions of expected improvements are also opportunities to encourage them in what they are doing right. Balancing correction with affirmation will build your credibility and provide greater motivation for change.

4. Lead by example - Don’t ever expect attitudes or actions from your employees that you don’t consistently demonstrate yourself. Qualities like integrity, dedication, a strong work ethic and respect are more often “caught” than “taught” in the workplace.

5. Be willing to ask for and receive feedback - It takes courage to invite feedback, but it’s a lot less risky than to assume you know how you are doing. Keep your door and your mind open in order to improve your own performance and strengthen your leadership.

6. Involve your team in decision making whenever possible - Giving team members the opportunity to weigh in on important decisions helps to increase their sense of ownership, value and responsibility. Many companies have experienced great success and saved millions of dollars by listening to, and implementing, ideas from employees.

7. Keep your team well informed – A wise person once said, “What you are not up on you are down on.” Be willing to share relevant information in a timely and complete fashion, because employees kept in the dark will feel disconnected and become discontented.

8. Avoid favoritism - It is natural to experience a stronger connection with employees that share similar interests, personalities, backgrounds, etc., however, it is important to avoid showing partiality so as to reduce the potential for division, mistrust and resentment.

9. Recognize your eagles and keep them challenged - Every team has eagles - those employees who consistently soar above the rest. Be sure to acknowledge their effort and give them new opportunities that will maximize their potential and lead to greater responsibility. Remember, providing deserved recognition and opportunities for advancement are not acts of favoritism.

10. Always express appreciation for a job well done - It has been estimated that 46% of all employees quit their jobs because they feel a lack of appreciation from their employer or supervisor. Expressing sincere appreciation is a lot less expensive than the costs associated with turnover – and besides, it’s the right thing to do.

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Article Tags: affirmation, ambiguity, apprentice, credibility, critical areas, demon, donald trump, endeavors, frustration, good job, motivation, negative perceptions, personal success, premise, priorities, productivity, source of stress, target, team members, television show



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Need help in Team Building Activity.. - Hi! I am tasked to organize a Team Building Activity in the office. I would like to seek help from you guys on ideas on how to make it worth the time and effort. I want the team to ask for more team building activities after this one. Thanks! jane
Re: Need help in Team Building Activity.. - Team Building Activities are my favorite part. Last time our team was out for an expedition. We got a map and had to find the cave were we also slept and on our way there were other activities. It was an extreme team building and it was organized by a specialized company.
Business Tips - How about: Tips for managers to handle employees more effectively? Tips on how to deal with difficult customers? Tips on how to deal more effectively with suppliers? The only three I have in mind right now, but will try to come up with something else. Chris
Type of business with building - If you owned a building and Wal-Mart was opening its doors across the street in a previously unoccupied area (along with 12-14 small shops), what type of business would you start? Here are the considerations: 1. Money is a non-factor 2. Building is fairly large (10,000) square feet 3. Building is on the corner of a busy intersection (about to get much busier)
She Wins, You Win: The Most Important Rules Every Businesswo - She Wins, You Win: The Most Important Rules Every Businesswoman Needs to Know Gail Evans, 2003 Also author of Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman Inside jacket: Every time a woman succeeds in business, every other woman's chances of succeeding in business increase. Every time a woman fails in business, every other woman's chances of failure increases. Gail realized that one of the most important elements of the men's game, which was missing from the women's, was support: The boys know how to take care of one another. In order to create lasting success, women need to help one another and band together as a team. TOC The Woman's Team Why you must play on the woman's team How to join the team Tips for the team 1. Be a mentor 2. Rainmake 3. Uncover and share information 4. Keep quiet 5. Unite with all women at all times 6. Make team-related choices 7. Weave a female web Challenges of the Team Twelve team members to watch out for The eleven most common team questions (and answers) Conclusions Acknowledgements My own view Haven't read this yet, but it seems like she's advocating an "Us against them" mentality. Neverthless, networking with fellow women - and men! - only makes good sense.


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