To grow as a Team, you have to invest in your Team members

If you want your team to succeed – both today and in the future – it is imperative to make an investment in the people in your team. This investment can be in the form of induction, protecting newcomers against antagonism, and mentoring and training.

Part of your team’s long-term strategy must also involve planning for succession. The individuals who constitute your team will not remain the same forever, and even the team leader will at some point need to be replaced with ‘young blood’. Although this might be a difficult thing to accept, nature provides us with enough compelling evidence to suggest that the issue of succession cannot be avoided.

How animals grow within teams

Precocial animals are astoundingly fit for survival from the moment they are born. They are not afforded the luxury of lots of time, care and attention before they need to become self-sufficient. Antelope, buffalo and wildebeest need to stay on the move in order to survive, and a young one that cannot fend for itself will be left behind.

Altricial animals – such as hyenas, monkeys and most bird species – need a great amount of care and attention from their caregivers if they are to survive. In the initial stage of our lives we humans are of course, also altricial beings.

Succession in your team

Induction, mentoring and training are not only beneficial to teams; they also increase the organisation’s chances of success in the long term. Some kind of succession strategy is also critical. There comes a time in all teams when a decision must be made on who will take over the leadership position. Unless time and effort have been spent on nurturing new team members, you might find yourself without a suitably skilled or enthusiastic leader.

Find out more about effective Growing in teams and natural teamwork when you buy Vernon Cresswells book