Whats the Secret Ingredient That Turns Groups into Teams? Working together building and maintaining long-term team relationships is the key behavior and skill of the most effective people in any organization.

Mutual Trust is the secret ingredient that turns groups into teams. It leads to cooperation, productivity, faster problem solving, loyalty and high morale.

Some of the key elements that create trust:

1. Put the goals of the team first. Place personal goals second.

2. Admit weakness, concerns and fears. People trust those who can admit they are human.

3. Ask for help when necessary. Thats just as important for building team trust as offering help when its needed.

4. Be optimistic and encouraging. Never criticize, complain or condemn.

5. Express approval. Your expression of approval towards someone satisfies their need for recognition and show respect for their accomplishments.

6. Offer appreciation. Whenever you thank someone for anything, you raise his or her self-esteem another notch. They feel more valuable and important.

7. Give your focused attention. This pays the team members a great compliment. You make them feel valuable and it helps to cut through any resistance and tension.

8. Compliment worthiness. Whenever you see anything that anyone has done thats worthy of a compliment, point it out and tell them how much you admire and appreciate them.

9. Practice agreeability and acceptance. People like to be around and deal with other people who accept them for who they are without judgment. You express acceptance and agreeability to others by smiling at them, nodding and agreeing when you can, even in the toughest situations.

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make an Effective Team?.

You can build a trusting team by looking for these kinds of members.

A Facilitator: Start with a person who has a track record of getting things done through others.

A Practical Hardhead: This person brings stability to the team and keeps everyone focused and on target. Be sure that this person is confident enough to speak out clearly, when others seem to be planting their feet firmly in midair.

A Numbers Person: Be sure that someone can keep control of the budget and that dreamers dont go wild with the companys or other peoples money.

At Least One Creative Person: This should be someone who will consistently come up with innovative ideas.

A Future-minded Strategist: Every team needs someone who will project from the present into the future and will press for a backup plan.

At Least One Star Performer: This person is someone who always goes beyond the minimum. These types solve problems and get involved in projects without worrying whether an activity is in their job description.

Taking Lessons From The Geese.
When you start to doubt the wisdom of teamwork, heed these lessons from an unlikely sourcea flock of geese.

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. By flying in V formation, the whole flock adds 71% more to its flying range than if each bird flew alone.

o Lesson: Teammates who share a common direction and sense of community can get where theyre going quicker and easier when they travel on shared power.

When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.

o Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing the leaders role.

When in formation, the geese from behind honk to encourage those in front to keep up their speed.

o Lesson: Sometimes team members need to hear a little honking.

Whenever a goose is sick or wounded, two geese drop out of formation to help and protect it. They stay with it until it can fly again or dies.

o Lesson: Stand by one another in times of trouble.