{"id":30671,"date":"2021-03-31T09:50:21","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T07:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/?p=30671"},"modified":"2021-04-08T10:52:15","modified_gmt":"2021-04-08T08:52:15","slug":"how-to-build-and-lead-highly-effective-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-build-and-lead-highly-effective-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build and Lead Highly Effective Teams With Dagmara Asbruek"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does the phrase \u201chighly&nbsp;effective team\u201d&nbsp;bring to mind&nbsp;for you? Do you think of \u201ceffectiveness\u201d in terms of a team\u2019s ability to consistently meet performance targets? Perhaps you believe that an effective team is made up of members that work harmoniously together. Or maybe you value the&nbsp;ability to follow instructions closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While these definitions aren\u2019t incorrect, none&nbsp;paints a complete picture of what an ideal team looks like. Effective teamwork is integral to an organization\u2019s success.&nbsp;And business leaders that fully understand how to build and manage teams effectively will almost certainly be viewed as invaluable assets by their employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We invited&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;Asbruek&nbsp;to join us at EU Business School to discuss these important points&nbsp;and describe how team managers can become better leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;Asbruek&nbsp;is a global procurement officer for Kongsberg Automotive, where she leads two purchasing teams and reports directly to the Vice President of Global Project Procurement. She has worked in the automotive and procurement spaces for over fifteen years, combining various governance, project management and cross-cultural leadership skills (Dagmara&nbsp;speaks five languages).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;opened her presentation by highlighting the central roles that teams play in organizations of all types and sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Teams: The Engines of Organizational Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;began by describing teams as \u201cengines of organizations\u201d. While people are crucial \u201cassets\u201d, she said, it\u2019s teams that ultimately determine a project\u2019s success. Because of this, teams need to work effectively within a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Building productive, competent teams, however, is easier said than done. When individuals take leadership positions, there are often many unknowns. Talking from personal experience,&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;noted that on multiple occasions she had found herself in management roles without the necessary tools and understanding that she required to \u201csteer the ship\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a&nbsp;High&nbsp;Performing&nbsp;and Effective Team?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before sharing the tools and strategies that she has found useful throughout her career,&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;defined the term \u201chighly effective team\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She posed the question, \u201cWhat pictures, symbols and words come to mind when you imagine a highly&nbsp;effective and cohesive team?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The presentation attendees came up with many responses, including \u201cmotivation\u201d, \u201cstrong leadership\u201d, \u201can orientation towards results\u201d, \u201cgood time management\u201d, \u201cloyalty\u201d, \u201cdetermination\u201d, and more.&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;used this exercise to illustrate how many varying ideas exist about what the term \u201ceffective team\u201d means and how challenging it is to find a universal definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;proposed an answer to the question above that encompasses eight core features and bridges the gaps between different understandings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Consistency<\/li><li>Collaboration&nbsp;and interdependence<\/li><li>Collective value-creation<\/li><li>Strong stakeholder connection and communication<\/li><li>Usage of the team\u2019s talents<\/li><li>High levels of trust, support and care<\/li><li>High levels of individual engagement<\/li><li>Overall satisfaction and sense of meaning<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In&nbsp;Dagmara\u2019s&nbsp;estimation, teams that display the eight characteristics described above can accurately be described as \u201chighly effective\u201d. She argued that the leader\u2019s role is to create a space in which these features can grow and evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Create a High&nbsp;Performing and Effective&nbsp;Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using Peter Hopkin\u2019s model, \u201c5 Disciplines of High Performing Teams\u201d,&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;outlined five foundational elements that need to be present for a team to be effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Clarity<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; \u201cClarity\u201d refers to a team\u2019s mission. If a team doesn\u2019t know its reason for existing, it will be difficult to coordinate initiatives and&nbsp;behavior. \u201cClarity\u201d also refers to the need for clear, specific goals and corresponding processes for achieving them.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li><strong>Commissioning<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; \u201cCommissioning\u201d means clearly defining a team\u2019s contribution to the broader organization. Having this understanding within a group is imperative for maintaining motivation and ensuring that the team is valued by other departments and stakeholders.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\"><li><strong>Co-Creating<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; \u201cCo-creation\u201d is about the parameters which determine how team members work together, including activities like collaboration, meetings, communication and so on.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\"><li><strong>Connecting&nbsp;<\/strong>&#8211; \u201cConnecting\u201d refers to interactions&nbsp;<em>outside&nbsp;<\/em>of the team, such as with other departments, suppliers, contractors and stakeholders. It is important for leaders to create a culture and set of expectations that encourage positive communication.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\"><li><strong>Learning<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Learning sits at the&nbsp;center&nbsp;of the five-part model of effective team building. \u201cLearning\u201d is about building effective training, mentorship and feedback mechanisms to ensure consistent growth and development.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;then shared Peter Lencioni\u2019s model of culture dynamics and positive co-creation, which further elaborates on the underpinnings of successful teams. The model has five aspects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Attention<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; For a team to be effective and move in one direction, it needs to pay \u201cattention\u201d to&nbsp;clearly&nbsp;defined, agreed-upon goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Accountability<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Accountability Is about creating an environment in which people are recognized as being responsible for their actions. In this way, low standards are eliminated through&nbsp;mutual cooperation&nbsp;and challenge.<\/li><li><strong>Commitment<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Commitment refers to a willingness among team members to commit and follow through on a decision once it has been made, even if everybody is not happy.<\/li><li><strong>Productive conflicts<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; A desire to cultivate productive conflict entails the removal of artificial harmony. Healthy disagreement that drives creative progress towards solutions is valued in this context.<\/li><li><strong>Vulnerability-based trust&nbsp;<\/strong>&#8211; Vulnerability-based trust creates a space where people are not afraid to share their weaknesses and vulnerabilities.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;highlighted the fact \u201cvulnerability-based trust\u201d is the most critical factor of this pyramid. It acts as the basis for all other elements. As such, leaders need to focus on building trust as their&nbsp;first priority. And it\u2019s onto this topic that&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;next turned her attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leading an Effective Team: Dos and Don\u2019ts of Building Trust<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are several ways that leaders can build a solid foundation of trust and vulnerability that will allow teams to thrive.&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;outlined six key points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Take off your mask&nbsp;<\/strong>&#8211; As a leader, you need to demonstrate vulnerability first if you want your team members to follow suit. In practical terms, this means being honest about your weaknesses, flaws and aspects of your personal life (when it is appropriate to share these details).<\/li><li><strong>Admit your mistakes<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; If you make mistakes as a leader, don\u2019t be afraid to share them with the team. This practice cultivates a culture of sharing and removes any fear around making mistakes, which can detrimentally affect results and performance.<\/li><li><strong>Listening&nbsp;<\/strong>&#8211;&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;spoke about a personal experience&nbsp;in regards to&nbsp;listening. When she became a coach, she discovered the importance of recognizing others\u2019 feelings, creating time and space for team members and asking questions to ensure&nbsp;that her understanding was correct. She recommends that all leaders should develop these \u201csoft\u201d skills.<\/li><li><strong>Asking for feedback<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Every effective team operates in a culture of feedback. And team leaders should be the first people to ask for feedback. This can be done in many ways, including in one-on-one formats and through surveys. Working from this basis, leaders can also encourage team members to share constructive feedback among themselves.<\/li><li><strong>Building relationships<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Connecting with colleagues on a personal basis is vital for successful long-term collaboration. As a leader, you should develop relationships with your team that extend beyond <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/design-thinking-strategy-business-innovation\/\">business<\/a> goals and processes. You should, for example, get to know your team members\u2019 values, interests and personal stories.<\/li><li><strong>Create a space for quality time<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Create a supportive space where you can share time with your team outside of a business context. In this way, you will gradually cultivate lasting trust and vulnerability.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;finished her presentation by outlining five things that all leaders should avoid. If you find yourself falling into these traps, it is a good sign that you need to work on and develop your management style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;listed five \u201cdon\u2019ts\u201d of effective leadership:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Don\u2019t point fingers and blame people, which will undermine trust.<\/li><li>Don\u2019t tell people how to do their job without listening to feedback.<\/li><li>Don\u2019t try to present a false, inauthentic mask to team members.<\/li><li>Don\u2019t over-focus on business tasks at the expense of quality time with team members.<\/li><li>Don\u2019t rely on external trainers to implement&nbsp;team-building&nbsp;and training exercises.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dagmara&nbsp;rounded off by highlighting the importance of small steps. Over time, small actions will contribute towards a foundation of trust, collaboration and mutual respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Become a Word-Class Business Leader at EU Business School<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you envision yourself in a leadership role, perhaps at a large enterprise, a mission-driven non-profit, or at the head of your own&nbsp;startup? If the answer is yes, a degree from EU Business School will provide you with all the skills and experience you need to thrive in your chosen field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We offer a range of leadership courses, including our&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/en\/Programs\/Bachelor-s\/BA-Hons-in-Business-Management-International-Business-Barcelona\/Overview\/Overview.html\" target=\"_blank\">BA (Hons) in Business Management (International Business)<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/en\/Programs\/Master-s\/Master-in-Management-Barcelona\/Overview\/Overview.html\" target=\"_blank\">Master in Management<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/en\/Programs\/MBA\/MBA-in-Human-Resources-Management-Barcelona\/Overview\/Overview.html\" target=\"_blank\">MBA in Human Resources Management<\/a>.&nbsp;You can choose to&nbsp;study in one of EU Business School\u2019s European campuses,&nbsp;located in&nbsp;the&nbsp;thriving business hubs&nbsp;of&nbsp;Barcelona, Geneva, Montreux&nbsp;and Munich, as well as online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/study.euruni.edu\/info-study-business-europe?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_mode=30&amp;utm_campaign=gif-footer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Define_750x125_3-1.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36087\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What does the phrase \u201chighly&nbsp;effective team\u201d&nbsp;bring to mind&nbsp;for you? Do you think of \u201ceffectiveness\u201d in terms of a team\u2019s ability to consistently meet performance targets? Perhaps you believe that an effective team is made up of members that work harmoniously together. Or maybe you value the&nbsp;ability to follow instructions closely. While these definitions aren\u2019t incorrect, none&nbsp;paints a complete picture of what an ideal team looks like. Effective teamwork is integral to an organization\u2019s success.&nbsp;And business leaders that fully understand how to build and manage teams effectively will almost certainly be viewed as invaluable assets by their employers. We invited&nbsp;Dagmara&nbsp;Asbruek&nbsp;to join [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30678,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1771],"tags":[1274,1456],"class_list":["post-30671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-trends","tag-team-building","tag-teamwork","post--single"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>How to Build and Lead Highly Effective Teams<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Leadership expert Dagmara Asbruek joins EU Business School to talk about practical ways that business leaders can build and lead highly effective teams.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-build-and-lead-highly-effective-teams\/\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"EU Business School\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/how-to-build-and-lead-highly-effective-teams\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"EU Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Business Trends\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/business-trends\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Build and Lead Highly Effective Teams With Dagmara Asbruek\"}]}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Build and Lead Highly Effective Teams","description":"Leadership expert Dagmara Asbruek joins EU Business School to talk about practical ways that business leaders can build and lead highly effective teams.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-build-and-lead-highly-effective-teams\/","author":"EU Business School","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-build-and-lead-highly-effective-teams\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"EU Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Business Trends","item":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/category\/business-trends\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Build and Lead Highly Effective Teams With Dagmara Asbruek"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30671"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30731,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30671\/revisions\/30731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}