Characteristics of Great Teams

Great teams that work in any creative field will have a culture of excellence that shares many of these qualities:

• Optimistic aspiration to greatness – Individuals and teams seek out excellence on their own.
• Shared vision – People and teams are aligned around the same vision and goals, minimizing conflicts and wasted effort.
• Swift and effective conflict resolution – Teams minimize waste and maximize speed.
• Results count, not effort – People are oriented on what matters, progress toward the team’s goals.
• Best ideas win regardless of source – Improvements are accepted without politics.
• Interest in improving team performance over time – People work to create an environment that supports personal and team growth.
• Creative intimacy – Cross-functional teams that work closely together, and include engineering, business, and user experience people for example.
• Proactive self-organization – Teams decide what to do and do it, and do not wait to be told what to do.
• Great decisions are the norm – And meetings are mainly held to make decisions, not pass along information.
• Mistakes and learning are celebrated and encouraged – Maximizing learning and encouraging growth.
• Healthy relationship to authority – People lead and follow as necessary without cynicism.
• Grit – There is passion and perseverance for long-term goals and the ability to transcend significant obstacles.
• Flow of great work – The team regularly delivers products, services, or other accomplishments that move it closer toward its goals.
• Inclusive – The team is welcoming and supportive of new members and collaborators of different identities– genders, skin colors, sexual orientations, ethnicities, religious beliefs, politcal beliefs, socioeconomic statuses, and other characteristics.
• Effective collaboration – The team has clear, warm, and effective collaboration and communication with other teams and stakeholders.