There was a man who was laying bricks and a passer-by asked, “Hey! What are you upto?” The man replied, “Laying bricks”! The passer-by saw another man doing the same thing and asked again “Hey! What are you upto?” The man replied, “I am building the Taj Mahal”. The importance of the making the team members understand the bigger picture cannot be emphasized enough.

Team Building is one of the most exciting activities one can think of, whether it is for game or for work. As a leader handling multiple responsibilities, I have had the opportunity to build many teams. Sharing some of the learning here and hoping it would benefit you.

Sharing the Bigger Picture: The team member who has a clear picture on ultimate purpose and how his or her contribution fits in within the larger puzzle will be more aligned to the leader. After all, a team is a group of individuals working towards a common goal. Clear articulation of the team’s objective and the individual contribution is key to building a great team. The more frequent the communication, the better it is for the team’s success.

Every team member is different: This is a very key aspect that every leader needs to take into consideration while dealing with the team. The team is like a bunch of kids in the classroom. Every person brings on the table his or her own unique set of attributes. A falcon cannot be a pigeon and vice versa. Customizing one’s approach to understanding each team member and treating each one with respect paves way for reciprocation of the same. It is no secret that once you earn another’s respect, it is easier to work with that person and to also influence, to a very large extend.

Embracing Diversity: In the VUCA world that we are in, the best ideas come in from extremely diverse teams. With Diversity comes in the need to make each one ‘feel included’. A leader will play a crucial role in making every single team member happy. Happiness is infectious and is the magic potion for success. Keeping a keen eye on every single team member is very essential to build on this Happiness Quotient. The team that compliments one another goes on to weave a winning story!

Appreciating is good: Appreciate the strengths of people very openly. This leads to a culture of appreciation. Very often, the team behaves like the leader. When the team starts appreciating one another, the result is divine. An extremely healthy team work starts kicking in and the work happens like a well-oiled engine.

Inculcating the sense of ownership: People can be categorized as ones who have to be told what needs to be done and others who anticipate, plan and do things proactively. Needless to say, the second category of people would make a dream team.

In all this, let’s not forget the one secret sauce that is the glue in a great team – having fun together, rain or shine!!!