The Manager's Pocket Guide to Leadership Skills

What Makes a Great Team?

In both our consulting practice and research, we have uncovered five characteristics that are common among all great teams.

1.  Great teams have a common, shared goal. Team members are equally committed to a common purpose, goals, and working approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. As a supervisor or manager, you have the opportunity to set the goals for your team. This technique is used by the majority of supervisors. The supervisor tells the team what needs to be accomplished and how to accomplish the task, whether on this shift or in a specific work period. People need to know what needs to be accomplished.

2.  The team has a positive vision of what the team is trying to accomplish. The term “vision” ...