Building High Performing Teams

Last year, my friend approached me to direct a production for Charity. The aim was to raise as much proceeds as we could to aid a local orphanage and old folks home. Since I have a passion for music and I could do this for charity, I therefore agreed to assist her. At the end of the show, we raised $20,000 for a one night peformance. What was more valuable was the experience which taught me a great deal on team dynamics. We didn’t just get lucky, so how did we achieve such great results?

When I was first tasked to put together a team, as the Director of the production, I had to get an OVERALL VIEW of what I wanted the team to achieve (i.e. the dream). Since it was going to be a charity concert, I knew success should be measured by profit and not glamor. I understood the simple mathematics of keeping cost down in order to maximise my profit. With that in mind, I evaluated and chose the most profitable option (given the resources I had) and that was to be my programme for the night.

The next step I took was to determine my key team players. My choice of key members were people who shared my vision, were connected to me and are people with great influence on others (who would gladly assist and follow them). That is the law of influence. These individuals shared my vision and quickly mustered the resources I required for the show; the volunteers, the funds and the materials through sponsorships.

I could not do this show alone and I did not try to do everything ALONE. As I delegated most of my key functions such as logistics and marketing to the key members, I could focus on what I do best, i.e. sing. I empowerd these individuals to make all the decisions because I knew their strengths and they knew my aims. It is therefore very important for team leaders to communicate their vision to their team mates. If they share your dreams, you have half the battle won and you will feel more secure in delegating your tasks to them.

However, that does not mean I do not evaluate their progress. I do constantly review their progress and deal with problems early when they arise. As a Director, I maintain my accessibility and remain connected. Since it was going to be a charity concert, many who wished to participate were volunteers. 80% of them love to sing but can’t sing beyond their bathroom walls! I had two choices. One was to quit and the other was to equip them with the skill. Since I am not a wimp, the best thing for me to do was to EQUIP them with the skill.

Everyone soon got to work as they were keen on achieving the aim of raising money for charity (the dream). I began to train my crew four months before the show. I also decided to sing in the production so that they knew I was with them. It was a tough four month preparation but the results were rewarding.

During the process of training, I began to study the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals. I look out for the NICHE in each individual member. The songs to be performed were chosen based on the age profile of the target audience so that they can relate to the songs sung (here is where I assisted the marketing team) and the songs were subsequently matched to the strengths of the various singers (to bring out the best in them). It required adjustments which some individuals viewed as indecisiveness. However, I always remember that leadership is not a popularity game. Hence, I knew I had to make those adjustments where I deemed fit. This requires confidence in what you do best. Over the four months, the singers practised their songs regularly and were very committed. At this point, I knew I already have 80% of the battle won.

Tomorrow, I shall cover ways to deal with ineffective members for the common goal of the team.