In precision manufacturing every day you can see the positive results of true teamwork to your operation. But what makes a team operate well, what makes a group of employees work together with a sense of purpose and community and how can you elevate your group to a team? Jim Sisson writes for the Minneapolis/St Paul Business Journal, “A team is a group of people who share a common team purpose and a number of challenging goals. Members of the team are mutually committed to the goals and to each other. This mutual commitment also creates joint accountability which creates a strong bond and a strong motivation to perform.” To build a team you need to:

• Define purpose. Make sure there is a sense of what they are doing is important and worthwhile
• Define challenging and specific goals for the team to work towards
• Connect goals to each team member so they can understand what part they play
• Encourage team feedback and participation in strategy, improvements and goal setting
• Build a sense of community among the team – this is a “place” they belong, make contributions to and care about those within their “community”

Mr. Sisson adds, “A well-defined strategic plan outlining the purpose, values, goals and objectives of the team becomes the glue that binds the group together and helps transform them into a team. Participation in developing that plan helps to build understanding, consensus, and commitment.” Share tips that help you build teams in your operation. [caption id="attachment_636" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Source: examiner.com[/caption]