1. Choose an inspiring and challenging goal
Do goals like achieving 10% more revenue or improving the Service Level get you excited? For most people, the answer is no. There’s no real emotion or deeper meaning behind such objectives. Team members want to work toward a goal they are intrinsically motivated by—something that truly makes a difference in others’ lives or is simply exciting to achieve. Engage in a conversation with your team about what goals truly matter to them, and find a way to incorporate at least some of that inspiration into your team’s objectives.
2. Ensure the right skills and competencies
A team can only function effectively if it has the right skills and competencies and if they work together in a well-balanced manner. Ajax (the soccer club) is a great example of how important and fragile this balance is. In May, Ajax was competing in the Europa League. In the following months, they sold a few crucial players (and thus lost essential skills and competencies), and now, for the first time in 51 years, they failed to qualify for European soccer! Take a critical look at your own team. Do you have the right players with the right skills and competencies? If not, this is something you need to address urgently.
3. Keep striving for the ideal role distribution
You might have seen them—the people who seem reluctant in everything they do. Or the highly motivated junior who gives their all but doesn’t contribute much. They have skills, but they don’t shine in their current role. Or the team loses energy because roles don’t complement each other well or are outdated. Take a critical look at the roles in your team. Do they still align with what’s expected of you? Perhaps a major reshuffle is needed. Assign roles that fit each person’s strengths, or let go of those who don’t fit. And don’t be afraid to restructure roles if it leads to better performance.
4. Encourage responsibility and ownership
Prevent learned helplessness by not solving all your team members’ problems for them as a manager. Also, don’t keep crucial information about the organisation’s direction to yourself. Provide clear guidance, space, and responsibility within well-defined boundaries. Encourage initiative, hold back from stepping in too quickly, and hold people accountable for their responsibilities. When people take ownership, openly appreciate it—even if the outcome isn’t perfect yet.
5. Conduct more effective meetings
Many teams meet too often and for too long. Everyone wants to voice their opinion without working towards a clear, solid decision. Or the agenda is simply too packed, leaving important topics unaddressed. This frustrates those waiting for a decision. Discuss the effectiveness of your team meetings and decision-making processes. Decide together how to improve them. After each meeting, review what went well and what can be enhanced.
6. Foster a safe environment by sharing vulnerability
When people feel safe, collaboration and trust improve. You play a crucial role in this. Enhance team safety by encouraging vulnerability. More importantly, support those who show vulnerability and help them. If vulnerability is met with judgment or negative consequences, it kills team safety. Do not tolerate this! Address it clearly but compassionately. You can also set an example by showing your own vulnerability—it makes you more human and lowers the threshold for others to do the same.
7. Break negative communication and interaction patterns
This is one of the toughest challenges within a team. A common example is excessive dominance—where two or three people dominate meetings, always ready with their opinions or judgments, while others merely listen, contribute minimally, or disengage entirely. Changing this pattern starts with recognizing and naming it. Then, you can explore the root causes and determine what the team needs to break the cycle.
8. Make working in the team enjoyable
It’s great when a team works hard. But it’s not so great when it feels like a constant struggle. Make working in the team enjoyable. Create a positive atmosphere where everyone feels involved and appreciated. Where there’s room for laughter and productive work. Informal interactions within the team also contribute significantly to job satisfaction. Organize fun activities, celebrate successes, and make time for meaningful conversations. This is essential for team spirit—give it the attention it deserves.
9. Exceed the expectations of your key stakeholders
Nothing boosts a team’s morale like clients, executives, and colleagues openly and repeatedly praising their performance. The fastest way to achieve this is by exceeding expectations. Make sure you always understand what your stakeholders expect and develop a plan to surpass those expectations. You, as a manager, can’t do this alone—so turn it into a challenge with your team. Make it a sport to exceed expectations every week. It fosters creativity and feels incredible when it works.
10. Dare to create social value and impact
More and more organisations have social goals. Beyond profit, they aim to make a societal impact. However, at the team level, this is often left unaddressed—even though many employees increasingly value contributing to a better world through their work. Dare to embrace a social goal at the team level. Involve your team extensively in choosing one, and always select something you can directly influence. It adds more meaning to your work and collaboration, fueling energy, loyalty, and a better world.
As a team manager, you now have a clear roadmap to making your team even more successful. Choose one of the above points and start implementing it immediately to achieve better results this month.
If you need help, feel free to contact us without obligation.
Arjan ter Linden
