What Makes an Excellent Team?

"The ability to sustain outstanding results over time is the most obvious characteristic of an excellent team." So says Jesse Stoner, EdD in his work called Benchmarks of Team Excellence.

But if team excellence is the outcome, what then are the benchmarks that enable that outcome to occur? Stoner identifies six of them:

1. Alignment - whereby team members share a common vision or purpose for the team's existence.
2. Processes - whereby the policies and procedures enable team members to coordinate their efforts smoothly and effectively (Stoner calls this Team Effectiveness, but I like using the term 'Processes' better as it's more about the infrastructure that required than the outcome resulting from it).
3. Empowerment - whereby team members feel authorized to do what's necessary to get the job done, and supported in their efforts in doing so.
4. Passion - whereby each member brings a high level of enthusiasm, energy, excitement, excellence, and confidence to the group.
5. Commitment - whereby each member feels a deep commitment to purpose of the team ... and to each other.
6. Standards - whereby the group purposefully raises the level of performance above and beyond what is necessary. (Stoner calls this Results.)

If your team isn't operating at as high a level as you'd like, take a look at where they are on these 6 benchmarks. Start with alignment and work your way down the list.