English Speaking | Building Team Processes
Ask a leader of any team and they will tell you that if team motivation is high, then a major part of the job is done. Of course, factors outside a team’s control may defeat even the best. That said, a highly engaged team is better placed to succeed than others. A leader must have well refined English speaking skills as it will help him/her to get the message across to his/her team.
Focus on the Basics
Often, despite an exciting mission and strong leadership, a team could be low in spirit. This is surprising but true and the root cause is most probably the lack of focus on team management basics. A house is only as stable as its foundation; team related process hygiene is the building block that must not be ignored.
The Leader Must Have Good English Speaking Skills
Every team has an objective. This should be clear to each team member. Individual goals must link to team goals. The leader must regularly communicate progress against goals to the team.
Clarity is key in communication and the medium through which one communicates is the language. English language in today’s world has become increasingly important for essential interaction. A person looking to effectively interact should have great English speaking skills. It’s also helpful to be able to write effectively in English – quite often, that requires writing practice and building awareness of the major rules of English grammar.
Have Regular Discussions
Discussions as a group allow for sharing and solving common issues together. Periodic reviews with individual team members enable identification of opportunities in skill, effort or other areas that can enhance performance. An effective leader ensures communication is a regular practice and is integral to team culture.
Celebrate the Success of Your Teammates
High performing teams record wins consistently and sometimes must also deal with setbacks. Celebrating the good times helps during challenging periods. Successful teams celebrate achievements. Each team develops their own methods of recognizing performance of the team and its members.
Check in With Your Teammates Regularly
Teams are rarely formed organically or, in other words, are not outcomes of nature. This may be true in the animal world but people come together for organized activity through a process of artificial selection. As such, it is necessary to ensure through process that teams constantly pulse-check their health and intervene as needed to ensure teamwork.
In summary, paying attention to team related basics results in brilliant performance. Neglecting seemingly ordinary but critically important elements can adversely impact team morale. Communication must become a process and weave itself into team culture. Excellent English speaking skills make communicating easier. Team goals, individual roles and performance measures must be aligned. Progress must be shared with all and individuals should have the opportunity to share achievements and seek support to improve performance. Rewards and recognition must become part of the process. Investments in team building are a necessity. If the goal is to be a champion team, nothing can be left to chance.