The truth about outstanding team execution

Team execution is vital

Whether you’re a small business with a small group of employees, or a manager in a large organization there are always a few initiatives that need a team to complete. How do you help the team be successful? Here are a few tips to improve team execution.

Define the deliverable

For many teams, the main barrier to execution is the lack of a defined set of deliverables.  To execute, team members need to understand exactly what they are there to deliver. It’s important to articulate this clearly. Defining the deliverable as “a new app that helps with personal finance” is not clear.  Try something like, “an IOS app that allows the user to connect their financial loan accounts to enable additional payments and loan tracking.” Be specific.

Define each participant’s role

Once the team knows exactly what they are to deliver, it’s time to make sure each team member knows what they are responsible for and by when. Again, be specific with both the deliverable and the date. If it’s an app, the milestones might be a detailed design, a mockup of the module, a working first prototype, the finished testing on the prototype, the final product.

Be clear on the criteria for the acceptance of the deliverable. How many levels are required in the design? Does the initial prototype need to complete one typical transaction? People execute if you let them know what is required.

Manage priorities

For many teams, the constant shift of priorities kills productivity. It’s important for the team managers with work with the customers and sponsors to minimize shifting and conflicting priorities.  Good initial project planning and scope management are critical to minimizing this problem. Inevitably, changes do arise.

Have a process to manage changes that enable the team to understand how the change is being incorporated into the deliverable. Get the team involved in evaluating and managing changes so they are not startled. Surprises stop productivity.

Over-communicate

Communication is a key element of team productivity. For a team to execute well, they need to know the latest information. This doesn’t necessarily mean the team needs to meet constantly. Use all the tools in the arsenal including email, wiki’s, discussion boards, and 5-minute standups. Be extra vigilant about communication if the team is virtual. Virtual team members often feel left out of critical communication channels.

Team execution is as important for small businesses as it is for large organizations. Any organization can make sure that deliverables are clearly defined, team members know their roles in the execution of the project, and communicate with the team.  Follow these guidelines for better project outcomes.

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How do you enable team execution? Tell us in the comments.