Teamwork, the ability for all members of the team to not only work well together but to enhance and support the work of the rest of the team, is critical to the success of any business. Interestingly, as critical as this is, it’s also quite simple, boiling down to communication, cooperation, and patience. There are many ways to promote teamwork within an organization outside of the classic expensive off-site getaways. Here are some strategies to help encourage teams to work better together.
Set Clear Goals
Goal setting is an excellent way to keep employees motivated in the workplace. Management should strive to provide goals that are clear and measurable. Goals that aren’t these things that lead to fear, uncertainty, and doubt, none of which are conducive to a successful, functional team. By clearly defining and measuring goals, employees can see an end result or a milestone in their midst. They can focus on where they are going, celebrate what they’ve achieved and confidently move on to the next goal.
Encourage Socialization
Team members who don’t know each other, never spend time together, and don’t chat are unlikely to collaborate well together. While management certainly can’t force employees to talk to one another, they definitely can encourage it. Team lunches, off-site social gatherings, game nights, community service, or even just encouraging talk and chatting during the workday can all help employees feel closer to one another and tighten the team.
Support Open Communication
By supporting open communication, it creates a space where any feedback that is given is not taken as a personal attack it’s taken a positive criticism in helping that person grow. Open communication allows the team member to be more engaged and understand that what they do matters to the success of the company. This creates a team where communication, feedback, and shared ideas are welcome and encouraged.
Support Trust and Respect
Trust and respect are two vital aspects of building teamwork, an environment that doesn’t encourage these two factors is never going to be functional or successful. An employee who doesn’t trust their coworkers will continually control all aspects of their job, be unwilling to let someone else have an impact on their career, and will be closed off. If an employee doesn’t trust their managers, they’re going to spend time covering their backs, never saying what they really think, and double checking on the work of others. Without trust and respect, people can’t successfully work well together.
Define Responsibilities
A team that has vague responsibilities and roles is likely to spend a lot of time doing double-work or checking up on each other. Having clear well-defined job descriptions in place with key result areas is necessary for each individual employee to understand their role and how it fits in with the company as a whole. When it comes to projects, define who is ultimately responsible for the project and who are contributors. Those who are responsible are the ones who can make the final decisions on how to proceed and how to present the project or work. Understanding where each person is accountable for the project will greatly streamline the process and allow people to contribute to the best of their abilities.
If you would like to learn more about creating more collaboration and trust by promoting teamwork reach out to set up a consultation today.