1. Give teams the authority to make important decisions
Your people aren’t stupid; they know when they have been stuck on a team that has no authority and whose decisions will be overruled by you or some other manager in the organization. When that's the case they will check out and you won't get their best ideas. The most-effective teams are those that are doing important work for their organizations, and that have been granted the authority to make important decisions. When your teams are fully engaged you will have the opportunity and ability to step back from making every single decision for your business. By handing the reins to your team you can spend time on more important things. This doesn't mean, however, that you let go entirely. Keep in touch with your teams and make sure they are accountable for their progress and results.
2. Challenge employees to ask “What if?”
Encourage every employee to ask questions during team meetings, especially the "What-ifs?", and then seriously consider them. Discussing a variety of possible outcomes, however remote they may seem, gives your team the advantage of being prepared in advance for most any situation they may encounter. Include employees from all levels in these meetings. Seeing things from the point of view of less-experienced employees can sometimes help the team come up with an idea that would otherwise be overlooked.
3. Work to resolve differences
In order to remain a united team working toward a common goal it is critical to address each employee's concerns and work through them as they arise. While not every employee will agree on the decisions that have been made it is vital that such disagreement doesn't turn into long-term negative feelings that hamper team performance. Explain to your people that they won't always agree on a problem, and teach them how to accept the team's decision and move on. Each team member must take responsibility for the outcome even if it wasn’t his or her preferred approach.