What does it really mean to belong to a team?  And even more importantly, to an effective team?  In a broad sense it might be said that belonging to a teams is a result of feeling a part of something larger then yourself, being connected to and contributing to the mission or objectives of ones organization.  But is this connection really enough to improve the functionality of a team?  Seeing the big picture might be motivation to contribute, but that motivation may manifest itself in unhealthy ways, like stabbing a team member in the back or attempting to take on too large a share of the workload because no one else can be trusted to do it right. 

The key to high functioning teams is relationships.  Team members that are scared or intimidated by each other or overly competitive are not healthy.  Rather, managers must foster an environment of trust, respect and admiration for each others contributions.  When that is in place then working together is going to be easy. 

In this type of environment, individuals understand the various roles and responsibilities within the team and give others permission to do what they do best in their own way. They also understand where they fit in and that others are counting on them. They are motivated to accomplish what the team needs to accomplish. 

Unless there are relationships between team members, the work is going to be all about tasks.  All work teams are going to have tedious or uninteresting tasks that need to be done.  Teams are able to discover their potential when they are able to see past those tasks and focus on developing positive relationships. 

This doesn’t mean that everyone on the team has to be best friends. It’s not about divulging personal stories and problems to each other in order to feel more connected. On the contrary, this can actually cause problems in itself.  What it means it that individuals have respect, trust and admiration for each others’ contributions to their shared organization.

Corporate team building activities led by an experienced facilitator can be one way to move along the process of building a high performing team.