Driving a Project to the Finish Line: How to Lead a Team to Success

Everyone wants to be successful. Whether it’s in a relationship, at a sport, or in the office during the 9 to 5, it’s safe to say that we all strive to find success in life. What’s the common denominator between all three of those areas of life – relationships, sports, and jobs? They all require working with a team.  Below are five essential skills and tactics on how to lead a team to success.

1. Be a Clear Communicator

First, and arguably the most important, communicate effectively and set goals. A successful team understands that open and honest communication is critical to reaching the result you’re all striving for. Facilitate conversations with your team and always, always listen before you speak. An excellent communicator understands that communicating effectively is essential for progress and efficiency. Keep your team in the loop by over-communicating and making sure no setback goes unresolved. Rather than focusing on the specific task list of what needs to get done, talk to your team and set goals based on the results you’re looking for. A clear plan must be in place before anything gets crossed off the task list. Set expectations and outline what it’s going to take to get the job done. This provides clear direction and a common goal in which the team can all work towards together.

2. Be Supportive

Next, build relationships. Get to know one another outside of the office, field, or classroom and offer support to one another. It takes time, effort, and emotion to maintain relationships, but it will come naturally if you’re genuinely intentional about it. A team is always more productive in achieving goals when each member can offer and receive support from one another. After all, it is a team effort! Working together immediately becomes more enjoyable when you’re comfortable with the people you’re working with.

3. Be Trustworthy

Third, trust those relationships. Trusting the team is a crucial part to success (and one of Vert’s core values!). Trust can take time to build but will develop quickly if you take the time to create and foster relationships with your team members. Being a trustworthy team member will help your teammates commit to achieving your goals and will inspire them to give it their best. Trust will immensely benefit the overall communication process because team members will feel comfortable offering their suggestions and

4. Be Resourceful

Next, manage your time and resources. Management is one of the most important skills to have in order to find success, especially when working with a team. Based on your plan and goals, understand where you should be spending your time and what resources are available to you to help spend that time productively. Taking on a new project but not sure where to start? Reach out to someone on your team who may have some experience with a similar project. Learn what resources are available and how they can be utilized when it’s time to prioritize your task list.

5. Be Positive

Finally, have fun. Sure, it might sound a little cliché, but success won’t happen overnight so you might as well have some fun along the way. After all, it can’t be all work all the time! Avoid feeling burnt out by always keeping things positive and enjoyable. This will increase productivity and will be easiest if you’ve taken the time to build relationships with one another – so use those relationships to your advantage. Keeping things fun will facilitate a positive working environment and will help diminish the potential of conflict.

So, whether you have your final biology group project coming up, you’re about to pitch to a potential new client, or you have your eyes set on the College World Series, it’s crucial to ensure that your team is set up for success. Hone in on these five skills, and you and your team will be hitting it out of the ballpark in no time.