What does your team need to thrive?

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Rocio Fernandez
Director of Product at PlayMPE and CEO & Co-Founder at
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Understanding the 12 Dimensions of a Thriving Team

Hello, everyone! Today we are going to attempt to answer an important question: What does your team need to thrive?

Why is Harmony Important in a Team?

In our fast-paced and ever-changing work environment, a variety of factors such as stress, conflict, enjoyment, and a sense of belonging are crucial for building a successful team. These elements don't just contribute to the wellbeing of the team but can also significantly affect overall productivity and performance. Relax and fret not if this seems too complex; we'll go through these factors and discuss implementing a framework to improve the way you work.

What are the 12 Dimensions of a Thriving Team?

Ro Fernandez, CEO and co-founder at Nova, will share these fundamental dimensions and provide a flexible framework to create an environment where your team can thrive.

Let us start by examining these dimensions:

  1. Trust: Inter-team trust is a cornerstone element for successful team dynamics. It manifests in team members' ability to openly share opinions, concerns, and even discuss mistakes.
  2. Conflict: Successful teams don't shy away from conflict. Quite the contrary, it's about team members feeling comfortable sharing divergent ideas without fear of punishment.
  3. Enjoyment: Enjoyment at work is connected to ensuring that tasks align with what team members love to do, enhancing their enthusiasm for their work.
  4. Belonging: Belonging has shown to reduce employee turnover by 50% and increase job performance by 56%. It's about providing a platform where everyone's work is admired and appreciated.
  5. Commitment & Accountability: For a team member to show commitment, they have to understand the reasoning and outcome of their tasks. Coupled with accountability, this ensures everyone fulfills their responsibilities.
  6. Purpose & Value: A sense of purpose and value provides the team members with a sense of meaning in their work, fostering increased productivity.
  7. Productivity & Performance: Equipping teams with the resources, support, and knowledge they need to effectively manage their time and prioritize their tasks is paramount.
  8. Learning & Growth: Providing opportunities for learning and growth keeps teams engaged and challenged, fostering an innovative work culture.
  9. Guidance: An effective manager supports their team, understanding their individual needs and coaching them accordingly.
  10. Results: Results-orientation encourages teams to stay focused, shaping their strategies around achieving specific results rather than completing a list of tasks.

While some aspects are interrelated, others call for the honing of core management skills. Factors such as team norms and culture also play a significant role.

How to Measure and Improve Your Team's Health

Monitoring your team's health and finding areas of improvement could be done through various techniques:

  • Conducting regular surveys with specific questions about the dimensions of a thriving team.
  • Initiating one-on-one sessions with team members to gauge their emotions and overall wellbeing.
  • Integrating a self-evaluation checklist for managers for routine introspection and opportunities for improvement.

Using this comprehensive framework, you can quickly identify weak points in your team's synergy and embark on a journey of continuous growth and transformation, ensuring your team does more than just survive - it thrives.

Got any doubts about these concepts or dimensions? Maybe you've noticed a drop in team productivity, or you respect the power of collective ability and want to know how to harness it better. Feel free to reach out.

Creating a Workspace Where Teams Can Thrive

Establishing a thriving team isn't an end in itself. It's a long-term commitment that needs constant evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. You can proactively brainstorm activities to implement within the next 30 to 90 days or a year for each dimension - trust, conflict, enjoyment, belonging, commitment and accountability, purpose and value, productivity and performance, learning and growth, guidance and results - to enhance your team's dynamics and productivity.

Remember, your team is unique, and what works for others may not work for you. Tailor your approaches to cultivate an environment suitable to your team's unique dynamics.

Thank you for making the considerable commitment to your teams, and remember, excellence is a habit, not an act!


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