There are six keys to effective team building.

1) Senior leader’s courage – This is probably the most important element of effective team building. When the warning signs are in play that the senior leaders are not operating as an effective team or at as high a performance level as they could, somebody must put that issue on the table, and that is the job of the senior leader. He or she must not avoid potential conflict, but be vulnerable and put issues on the table, call attention to the elephants in the room, and articulate those things that need to be addressed. The senior leader must make sure that the agenda is aligned with the most important work. Again, this requires courage. Without courage, we cannot address the hard issues.

2) Constructive disagreement – The team must organize solidly around the concept that the reason for our meeting is constructive disagreement. If we are going to come into a room and nod our heads without ideas, and if we are going to withhold our points of view, there is no point to our meeting. The leader could go around to every team member individually and gather input to present an idea for a solution at the next meeting. That is not the best way to construct solutions or to work together. We need a framework for constructive conflict.

3) Commitment to making decisions – A senior team needs to commit to make decisions. There are important decision-making processes that could help. The clear articulation of the issue to be decided, what our decision-making pathway will be, what each team member’s role in the decision is and by when we want to decide will help a team to move forward and feel a sense of momentum as they do their work.

4) Individual accountability – There needs to be an understanding that when we come into this room, each one of us around the table is accountable and responsible for upholding our standards and our commitments. We basically hold hands in agreement that this is where we are. This is where we are going. These are our most significant issues, and we are going to work on these issues constructively until we get completion.

5) Commitment to results – The team must recognize that we are here to get results. We understand clearly what our key priorities are, what are goals and targets are and we can answer the question, “Where are we now, relative to where we’d hoped to be?”

6) Relationships – Interestingly, this ties into project management work where the most successful project teams enjoy being together. It is tough to enjoy being together if we do not know each other well enough and if we are only spending time together around the meeting table. So, having some free, fun time together, getting to know each other better and appreciating each other, are important components of effective senior teams.