By: Barbara Bowes
Date: February 6, 2009
Winnipeg Free Press

In spite of the fact that the 2010 Olympics have been in the works for quite some time, it seemed that the hype really got going when the Olympic torch made its roundabout way through our communities.

I was surprised and pleased to see that so many small rural communities were given the opportunity to participate. As well, I was pleased to learn of the special people selected to hold the torch, even if for just a short distance. The entire process appeared to be so carefully planned and participative. The result has been a smile on everyone's face and a tremendous rise in individual and group excitement, no matter where people live.

Now, here it is, less than two weeks before the opening ceremonies and everyone is "pumped up" and ready to go.

Another element of the Olympics is that in most cases, the athletes work in teams. Teammates are selected on skill, personality, fit and attitude. Over the preparation years, they practise together and work together and now during the event itself, they eat and sleep together. And, in spite of the fact that individual players may appear one at a time during their event, these players perceive themselves as a team and act and think like a team. Finally, they enjoy the fruits of their labour as a team.

As an observer, you can literally feel their excitement; in fact, their team feeling is so real that you can almost reach out and touch what it is like to be part of that team.

Strangely enough, we don't hear about such synergistic teams in the workplace. Is this because synergistic teams in the workplace are rare? If so, then how can one go about building a team that can indeed reach a synergistic level?

First of all, I must say that in my experience I truly do believe that a highly effective, synergistic team is indeed far more rare than one might like to think. I know that in my own corporate work career, I experienced a synergistic team only twice. I recall these teams and remember clearly the excitement I felt. I loved the way our team members could almost fill in each other's statements -- we got so much done and it was so much fun. Everyone chipped in to help each other and we just seemed to be so much in tune with our leaders and our team members.

Now that I am a human resource consultant and assist clients with team-building activities, I can also confirm that many leaders struggle with how to build a team that can reach the goal of being a synergistic, energized and successful team. Thus, I am confident the following basic guidelines will help you move toward this important goal.

Teamwork takes planning -- Keep in mind that building a team is a process of deliberate planning, assessment and development. You need to look at the skills required for the team and find people with special skills to fill in the holes. You need to plan for a variety of complementary skills so that you can build upon the strengths and decrease any weaknesses.

Teamwork evolves in stages -- Most people seem to forget that teams go through specific stages that include forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. During the early forming stage, team members are initially cautious while power issues and conflicts arise in the next storming stage. Once the ground rules are set and a common purpose is established, the team can begin to work together in the performing stage. However, the development of a team takes quite a bit of time to go through these stages, perhaps even years.

Team leadership is critical -- A team that is struggling to develop all on its own will never fully develop. A synergistic team needs a strong leader who can facilitate resolution to disagreements, develop a sense of sharing and support, ensure team members understand their role and how they can contribute and then focus on creating a culture of teamwork. A good leader will push, pull, cajole, challenge each member and drive the team toward a common goal.

Team leaders understand motivation -- Teams need momentum and this, too, takes time and work. It means that the leader must understand and appreciate each team member's skillset. It also means that leaders must understand what motivates their members and how to take advantage of this motivation for the benefit of the team. Then, knowing the team collectively, a good team leader can ensure that the team dynamics are goal oriented, focused and successful.

Synergistic teams celebrate success -- Celebrating team success doesn't mean holding a large team party at every turn; rather, it means focusing on simple, consistent and frequent notations of achievement. For instance, team members are often cheered on by a simple tap on the shoulder, a smile, or a high five. They appreciate an email of congratulations and are pleased when they are recognized by their colleagues for a job well done. Then when a project is complete and it's time for something more substantial, throw a pizza party over lunchtime.

Synergistic teams change and grow -- Teams are much more fluid that many realize. The need for certain skillsets within the team may change as projects change and people themselves want to grow or try different things. This fluidity must be viewed as an opportunity rather than a challenge. In many cases, the leaders will change and as a result, team members will move along to a different path.

The real challenge here is to keep in mind that whenever a team member leaves and a new one comes on board, the team reverts to the forming, storming, norming and performing stages. This is normal and with strong leadership, the team can recapture its synergy very quickly.

The goal remains the same -- Leaders and team members need to keep in mind that the overall goal of a team is to bring strength to the organization.

That old adage "two hands are better than one" is certainly true in the work world. And to do that, the leader and team members must understand the dynamics of teams and apply vision, planning and process as well as individual and group motivation that is focused on a common goal.

The competition at the Vancouver Olympics will start in the next few weeks and will conclude before we can blink an eye. However, we need to recognize that the rule of thumb for these sports teams is that it takes planning, strategy and years of practice. In my view, this same rule applies to organizational Olympics. Therefore, prepare your leaders by training them in the dynamics of teamwork and then strategize, plan, facilitate and ensure dedicated and never-ending practice.

Barbara J. Bowes is president of Legacy Bowes Group a leading human resource and executive search firm. She is also author of three books and host of the weekly BowesKnows radio show. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .