What Professional Services Teams Need to Thrive

By Ray Grainger, Executive Chairman

Thriving teams depend on being made up of a diverse group of people. And those people need to not only be supported by a company, but to be able to take care of themselves.

In the article, What Makes A Good Team, author Joseph Garvey shares some insights and observations based on the work of Dr. Tim Baker regarding the key characteristics of successful teams. Here, I want to review the importance of diversity and heterogeneity as part of the team dynamic. Here is what Garvey has to say on the subject:

“Thriving teams value diversity. They recognize each individual’s strengths and their preferences to assign tasks, and ultimately to boost performance. Each team member is valued for their unique talents and skills. Collectively, a diverse skill set, way of thinking, experiences, idea generation and problem solving helps to create an effective team and enhance results.”

I think this is an important component of a workforce and one that successful companies should draw from routinely. Different points of view and perspectives are crucial in technology, and especially for companies that are focused on innovation and relevance. The world is changing rapidly and to be a leader, businesses have to embrace change.This will bring new ways of thinking and new modes of operating that add new insights into what success looks like in a connected economy. The more diverse the points of view, the greater the likelihood that a business will have done its homework and determined the exact best practices for an evolving professional services industry.

Becoming Self-Starters

By encouraging each other to be self-starters, while also embracing change, a business fuels its trajectory toward market dominance. By tapping into relationships with clients and understanding their needs, professional services organizations accelerate not only the client’s path to success, but its own as well. By celebrating the differences in team members and including multiple forms of input and perspective, organizations are building a success-driven machine like no other. It’s the power of each team member individually to make a difference, which translates into a collective powerhouse of innovation.

Beyond supporting the business and each client, I’d like to remind everyone the importance of putting yourself first when it comes to your well-being.

Just like a team benefits from each other’s unique perspective, a team also benefits when each member takes care of themself. We’re better together.