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While I managed a portfolio of Midwestern properties for Cohen-Esrey, I oversaw a team of twenty-five employees. Each property within
portfolio had individuals on-site managing day to day operations. I met often with teams for two reasons: •To collaborate on business objectives for property. •To ensure that these objectives were clearly communicated. I rarely involved myself with decisions that directly affected day to day operation of building. This allowed manager to have a clear sense of their role and accountability. Finally, I encouraged these managers to communicate within their professional peer group; this encouraged joint problem solving and knowledge sharing. These actions led to tangible result of lower employee turnover.
While at Reuters in London undertaking a Customer Relationship Management project, I led a team of five individuals. Each of us had different skill sets and internal reporting lines, which made for a complex situation. Early in project, we clearly defined roles of each participant, and deliverables of project. Communication was extensive, but we still experienced a lack of trust at times. This was resolved through impromptu, non-confrontational face to face meetings, and short, weekly progress meetings. Despite challenges to project, team implemented CRM deliverable, resulting in higher customer loyalty.
While I worked in Singapore, I worked with a culturally diverse team. Our task was to develop more business for HSBC from Asian region. To do this, Americans, Australians, and local Chinese needed to communicate clearly. Surprisingly, I found that best way to develop a cohesive team was to dine out together as a group. Once we all understood each other on an informal basis, our communication and collaboration improved dramatically.
In summary, effective teams have three aspects in common: Productive climate, clear roles, and principled leadership. Although developing each aspect can be challenging, rewards of higher profits are worth effort.
Adam C. Park is a business development consultant based in Chicago, USA. He has written articles concerning Improving Customer Loyalty, Effective Risk Management and Deeper Cultural Understanding. He can be reached at acpark@comcast.net.
