In our New Leaders series, we had the honor of talking to Alejandro Egüez. Alejandro works for the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate. He has proven his expert knowledge regarding teamwork in many different international collaboration settings in his academic, business, and corporate career. We asked Alejandro for his recommendations on how to make teamwork successful.

Build relationships

The foundation for successful teamwork is to build strong relations among each other! Yes, this has something to do with personal chemistry among the team members. People must have empathy for each other. Yet sometimes the team setting is fixed, and you must invest in strengthening relations among the team members. Here you have to take the initiative by investing in the relationships. First, you need to know the person. Based on that, you can work on the personal side, e.g., by reminding them about birthdays or talking about private topics. Regarding the professional side, you should support your team members. Only by using this holistic approach can you create a solid and durable rapport among your team members.

Define objectives

Collaboration also requires structure and planning. For this, shared objectives are essential. They need to be grounded in the interest of each team member. It takes some effort to identify and integrate these personal aims, yet it is worth it! The alignment of objectives also aligns with the motivations and efforts of the team and each member. Furthermore, having clear goals is the starting point for structuring and planning the project. Having clear milestones and responsibilities gives everyone in the team and the external stakeholders clear guidance.

Work on your collaboration

Do not take the quality of your collaboration for granted! High-quality teamwork is something you have to work on! There will be difficult moments within the team and the project itself. The team quality shows itself in the way it handles these situations. The previously mentioned steps on building relationships and having a clear set of objectives are compelling levers for success. Furthermore, the team needs an open and proactive way of sharing feedback; and working on individual and group development. Continuous improvement should be a matter of course, and everyone should and can contribute to its improvement!

From cAPPabilities, we thank Alejandro for these great insights on effective teamwork! Especially nowadays, new collaboration skills are even more relevant than ever! For New Leaders, it is a fundamental competency to convert the potentials and talents of the team and create impact together! #New Work

If you want to practice your collaboration skill, join us in the next cohort of our Fitness club für New Leadership! https://cappabilities.de/fitnessclub-fuer-new-leadership/.