By Compass Ranch & Land and Cathy Cole, ALC

By definition, a team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. A group does not necessarily constitute a team. Teams normally have members with complementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort, which allows each member to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

Team members need to learn how to help one another, help other team members realize their true potential, and create an environment that allows everyone to go beyond their limitations.

While research on teams and teamwork has grown consistently and has shown a sharp increase over the past 40 years, the concept was only introduced into business in the late 20th century, followed by a popularization of the concept of constructing teams. Differing opinions exist on the efficacy of this new management fad. Some see "team" as a four-letter word: overused and under-useful.

Teams usually have strong organizational structured platforms and respond quickly and efficiently to challenges, as they have skills and the capability to do so. An effective organizational team leads to greater productivity, more effective implementation of resources, better decisions and problem-solving, better-quality products/service, and greater innovation and originality.

In land real estate as in other industries, a team becomes more than just a collection of people when a strong sense of mutual commitment creates synergy, therefore generating performance greater than the sum of the performance of its individual members.

Clearly defined goals

The success of any project starts with a clearly defined goal that is shared with all members of the team. You can create a clear purpose by forming a mission statement, setting performance indicators or defining specific things. When a team shares a specific goal, it helps to prioritize time and resources.

Roles and rewards

When each member of the team understands the role they play in meeting the goals, they’ll be able to stay focused on their responsibilities toward success. Rewarding team members for meeting early goals and/or making significant progress helps your team stay motivated and on track.

Recognition can also help your fellow team members remember the importance of their role as land agents and increase morale. Both team leaders and individual contributors should give positive feedback by noting exceptional work or praising a valuable idea. Recognizing your coworkers as you work toward a common goal can help motivate the entire team. 

Open communication

Open, honest and respectful communication is vital to effective teamwork. Team members need to feel comfortable expressing their ideas and opinions so each contributes to their full potential.

A productive work environment

Each team will thrive in a different work environment depending on its team members and goals. Begin tailoring the physical space you occupy to meet your needs. When creating this space, think about the tools your team may require.

Be creative again!

Creative problem solving and experimentation are vital to engage in as a group. Doing so can utilize everyone's unique perspectives to create more varied solutions. Set aside time for brainstorming sessions with your team and encourage creative solutions.

Meet outside the workplace

While you may have tailored your work environment to meet all of your team's needs, sometimes team members feel more comfortable in a setting outside of work. Meetings outside of the office also allow coworkers to build rapport and grow closer as a team, all of which can increase creativity.

Schedule a group lunch at a nearby restaurant or afternoon break. Wine Time is a good one! These meetings can be formal with team-building exercises, or just an informal chance for team members to relax and spend time together. You may want to schedule a recurring event, such as a team sales meeting to discuss new ideas and recognize individual team members for their progress. If weekly meetings work for your culture, then that is what works! There is no one thing. Be creative.

Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork

Teamwork is the process of having two or more people working cooperatively and collaboratively on a specific task. It could be work, a marriage, or finding the correct directions to the next property.

When people work together, then the diversity of experiences can provide teams of any size more strength than when someone is working individually. You can also find some disadvantages waiting for you when people get together to work.

Some individuals don’t work well in a team environment because they are so used to working independently. If someone has built a career based on their individual skills and independence, then their inclusion in a team could hurt them and everyone else. It doesn’t do anyone any good to try to force a square peg into a round hole.

Individual workers can often hit the ground running when they are given a new listing or buyer. That person will use their education and expertise to begin the problem-solving process. Teams take much longer to organize as they come together in practical and social ways. There can be delays because of the training that some people need to get caught up to speed.

End Goal: Greater Success

Groups can experience higher levels of success with teamwork when they take some specific approaches to organization. It begins when you consider the personalities and working styles of the individuals who are part of the team. You might suggest to a new agent to work with an older/mature agent. If you can assign people who have similar working styles and schedules together, then you’ll create more moments of cohesiveness.

Life has changed. Work has changed. Progress has changed. Now more than ever, we need others. Goals need to adopt and change. Build your team, ask people to join you. Find different perspectives. 

This is the time to change what you will be doing. Let’s work together!