The 6 ‘C’s of Effective Team Working (2024)

How to build an effective network…by Jamil Qureshi

Nothing can be achieved in isolation. It is a truism, that companies no longer compete against companies. Networks compete against networks. You can argue that the value of our lives can be measured by the quality of our relationships. Our ability to form networks of purpose and meaning is where our future success lies.

Cooperation.

We must first foster a willingness to co-operate. Networks don’t just come about. We must see the benefit in working together and forming a community. Once we have created a sense of open-mindedness to working and engaging with others we open ourselves up to the idea of collaboration.

Collaboration.

Collaboration is not about telling someone what you are doing, or even doing your bit and passing it on. Collaboration is a seamless flow of ideas and practical working which maximise the sum of parts. It is a practical connectivity which has a natural rhythm and efficiency in the way in which parties work.

Cognition.

Do you know the real resource to hand? Tactical awareness is about understanding where the wisdom, knowledge and experience we need in our network lies. Don’t look in the obvious place. Great cognition is about forming networks outside of the immediate connections we make. Maybe the best answers or knowledge lie in another industry or with someone whose job title wouldn’t suggest they really are the expert you’re after!

Communication.

Networks are about ‘exchange’. We cannot form, maintain, or build a network without regularity of contact. Communication fuels the community! For our colleagues to be co-creators and our contacts to be co-authors we need to ensure a relevant, timely and in context dialogue.

Challenge.

The best performing networks have high levels of challenge. There is nothing interesting about two people agreeing with each other –Reality TV and soaps are enthralling because they rely on two people not agreeing with each other! From conversations based upon curiosity, challenge, conflict of ideas we attract others to our network who wish to engage in the debate! Great ideas come from disharmony! Ask a question, you learn something. Make a statement, you learn nothing.

Coaching.

Networks should be formed to make those in the network better. If the network has no individual or collective benefit, it’s either a waste of time or will soon fall apart. Peer coaching is the best way to understand our individual and collective strength. If ‘better never stops’, we need to constantly evaluate ourselves and others to understand how we all can create greater value together. Coaching in a network is not about giving people new skills, it’s about helping people to understand the skills they’ve already got.

Jamil Qureshi is one of today's foremost practitioners of performance-enhancing psychology and is an expert in high performing teams. As the co-founder of change agencies, We Do Things Differently, Loudhouse and JQED, Jamil has enjoyed working with a rich diversity of the most talented business and sports people and teams globally.