6 Defining Characteristics of an Unstoppable Team

There’s no denying the fact that humans work better together. From an evolutionary standpoint, we had to work together to survive. Each member possessed a different strength that assisted the collective, whether it was hunting, gathering, healing, caretaking, or leading, everyone contributed. In the past, to fail in fulfilling your role within the tribe could potentially cost you your life. Fast forward to our modern age of today and although the consequences are a bit less drastic, intrinsically the principles are relatively the same. As individuals, we contribute our set of strengths to our organization, and collectively we further the success and shared goal of the company.  But what if your team hasn’t been meeting company goals for a while or certain people are not working well together? Ever wonder what qualities make up an unstoppable team? And more specifically, are your efforts helping or hurting the team’s efforts? Let’s discuss some fundamental characteristics of successful teamwork.

1. Organization

“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.”- Benjamin Franklin

For anything to be accomplished there must be order, otherwise, it is only chaos. Imagine having individuals in a workplace without designated roles, duties, or guidelines in place just working aimlessly; how much do you think would get accomplished? Nothing! Organization within your company and teams is the first building block to creating a well-oiled machine where each cog and wheel function seamlessly with one another.

2. Communication

“Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity.” – Nat Turner

For everyone to be on the same page, it must be communicated to all! Everyone on the team needs to have a clear idea of what the project is, what each person is contributing, what the end results need to be, what the trajectory for the company,  and what the shared goal is. Nothing is more deadly for a team than staying silent, so make sure to foster open and honest communication especially now that working remotely is increasingly on the rise.

3. Diversity and Inclusion

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” -Helen Keller

Just as in culture and society, a team should be as diverse as possible. When people work in diverse teams, it allows them the opportunity to learn new ideas and experiences from one another, which encourages creativity and improved problem-solving skills. There’s so much beauty and richness that can be gleaned from every culture and a healthy workplace helps cultivate this type of learning. 

4. Determination

“Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.” – Napoleon Hill

There is no substitute for perseverance. You either go the distance or you don’t. There are a rare few that actually accomplish this! Those are the Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos’ of the world today. They have all achieved amazing things and each one of them will tell you that you can’t let anything get in the way of mastering your goal. You have to believe in yourself wholeheartedly and have a fierce inner knowledge that regardless of the challenges you must stay the course with utmost determination to succeed at anything.

5. Participative Leadership

“Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary achievement from ordinary people.” – Brian Tracy

Every ship needs an experienced reliable captain, just like a successful team needs a great leader. Many tend to confuse leadership solely with a position or title but it’s so much more than that. What defines a true leader is their action, example, and character. Great leadership understands the importance of every employee and can empower their staff by their influence as opposed to their authority. It’s their innate ability to translate vision into reality and demonstrate what is possible. This is what separates good leaders from great leaders.

6. True Teamwork

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs

It doesn’t come as a surprise that the last key ingredient to the magic sauce of an unstoppable team is the support the team has to drive each other forward toward their shared goal. It boils down to each individual leaving their ego at the door and walking into their workplace ready to do what it takes to achieve what is necessary. No excuses. No complaints. Just a positive attitude and applying your strengths and abilities to contribute to the overall success of the team. As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work!

Now that you have the fundamental building blocks of an unstoppable team, where do you think your team can improve? If there are 2 or more areas that can use significant improvement, consider incorporating training to boost the areas that need development. Through instructional design, Reach You specializes in creating relevant and innovative training and e-learning solutions for businesses and organizations across the country. Reach out to us today!

Rhiannon Schmidt

Rhiannon is an instructional designer, writer, editor, and blogger. Her background consists of customer service and administration, specializing in organization, logistics, and event production. She excels most in communication skills, problem-solving, and is very detailed oriented. She believes that passion is purpose and finds the most purpose in learning, self-growth, and being of service to others.