Over the many years of being involved with businesses I have watched and observed leaders and their teams. I’ve gotten pretty good at being able to tell which teams are the most productive and unified, as well as those that are dysfunctional. Below I give some of the best tips for creating your own “Super Team” and how you can even be a better leader within them.

Before I get to that though, we need to talk about the importance of relationships and the boundaries within them. Relationships are necessary for the workplace. I am finding more and more people that have the attitude of “I don’t like people” “I can do it on my own” or even “I work better by myself” and while I never will hate the idea of independent thinkers, I do loathe the idea of independent workers. We as people define ourselves by our relationships, if you do not have a sense of community within your business then you are having employees that are constantly wondering where they stand with everyone, causing typical workplace conflict, and losing productivity.

There are two main types of relationships within a business team: Colleagues, and Friends. Colleagues have a shared understanding of responsibilities while at work. They work together to get the tasks or projects finished. Each colleague needs to understand and have clear objectives for each task. Friendships should also not be discouraged at work, According to a study by Good&Co 65% percent of employees reported that they kept at least one close-knit relationship at their work, 31% also said that they felt more valued at the workplace. Friendships are defined by simple trust, it is important for friends to feel safe and understood by each other.

Creating a productive team first requires an Effective leader, and when most people think about leadership they think along the lines of Commander and commanded. But effective leaders do not control others. Effective leaders listen, communicate, model good behavior, strategize & delegate, and build others up. These kinds of leaders have clear objectives for their colleagues, while also building trust for the other members that desire friendships. These leaders are versatile and can use empathy to create a better workplace.

It is also vital to understand the formation of a team, and how to achieve that productivity high. In 1965, Bruce Tuckman; an American Psychological Researcher, published his theory on group dynamics. In this theory, there are five stages to group development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. Each outlines the characteristics of the team, and also the objectives of the leader.

1. Forming: The team is just starting to collaborate on work, while the leader of the team should outline the objective, delegate team roles, and create guidelines for decision making.
2. Storming: The least productive stage of a team is here, and where I find that most leaders become impatient. It is here that the team may have different ideas, different goals, and even wanting different roles. It is the leaders’ responsibility to guide their team into constructive discussion, reinforcing the objective, having an understanding of resources, and leading by example.
3. Norming: This is where the team accepts their roles, rules, and goals, and has a shared understanding of the objective. Leaders should encourage free-thinking, coach collaborations, and watch for signs of conflict or regression into previous stages.
4. Preforming: The most productive stage of the team! The team collaborates on tasks, completes objectives, and confronts new conflicts constructively. Leaders here should facilitate communication, while also celebrating and recognizing others for their contributions.
5. Adjourning: Some teams disband after a certain objective is complete, making way for new opportunities, and new challenges. This is when leaders should take inventory of the best practices used, and what they could do better in the future.

The last thing that is needed to create a productive and efficient team is allowing free thinking and the credit given to the responsible party. If you think about it, we have all had at least one bad boss. According to the Huffington Post, 65% of workers say that they would rather have a new boss than a pay raise. One of the things that I find problematic is that bad bosses do not allow agency within their company, creating a stagnant pool of zombie-like employees. As a leader when you allow agency and responsibility into your company you also invite innovation, creativity, problem-solving, and employee retention! You will also be creating new leaders for your employees, creating a better workplace with individual thinkers!

In conclusion, when leaders become more effective; their teams become more productive. Creating more revenue, better resources, and happier employees. The relationships that you and your teams will make will shape the way that your company is. So it is vital to encourage positive social interactions while also becoming an effective leader.