Well, Chris Evans will now be fronting Top Gear, but the jury is out on who will take over from James May and Richard Hammond as their successors. Evans has announced the start of an open audition process, where fans can now apply to join the presenting team.

Yes, if you are passionate about cars and TG, it could be YOU who joins the iconic programme!

Either way, the BBC and TG are looking to build another super successful team to take the programme forward and so build on its success.

Regardless of whether or not you fancy applying for the job on Top Gear(!), in virtually every job you do, almost everyone works as part of a team.

However, working together as a team doesn’t always come naturally. But when people do truly work together as one team rather than as a group of individuals, the results are so much better.

Here are 5 things that team leaders can do to build a successful team in virtually any workplace:-

1.    Involve people in Decision Making

Involve people in decisions that affect them and adopt a democratic leadership style that engages team members and encourages team goals.

Why?

A participative approach encourages people to take responsibility rather than simply take orders.

This will enable the team to become better than the sum of its parts and evolve over time.

“My job is to make images and leave the decision-making and conclusion-drawing to other people (Laurie Anderson).

2.    Value Diversity

Encourage a variety of experience and backgrounds in the team.

Allow people to challenge you and be open to hearing different perspectives. This will lead to a diversity of viewpoints which in turn will lead to better decision-making, problem solving and innovation.

All great teams are built upon a diversity of strengths and similarity of spirit.

3. Manage Performance

Give your people something special to aim for – give them encouragement, the resources they need, and the right motivation – demand and expect the best from them.

Successful teams are given regular and specific feedback.

Everyone should know exactly how they’re performing and what they need to do if it’s not good enough.

Don’t shy away from having the tough conversations, any more than you should shy away from giving credit where it’s due.

4. Define Roles & Responsibilities

Each team member must clearly understand what they must do (and what they must NOT do!) and how they fit into the bigger picture.

When people don’t understand the impact of their role on others, they start working in silo.

Successful teams understand how each and every person adds value.

5. Build a Positive Atmosphere

Create an overall team culture that’s open transparent, positive, future-focused and able to deliver success.

A team’s culture is found in the hearts and in the soul of its people.

Of course this doesn’t magically happen overnight – it requires you as team leader to consistently recognise, reinforce, and reward the actions that lead to team success.

Aim for a ‘no blame’ culture – take a forward-looking view on problems, rather than trying to point the finger of blame goes a long way to encouraging openness.

Want to read the rest of the top tips on Building a Successful Team?

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