Effective teamwork is key for productivity, work quality and morale. You could have a team of highly-skilled employees but, without communication and cooperation, your company will struggle to keep up with competitors. Great teamwork ensures that your business is like a well-oiled machine.
Why is team-building so important?
Team-building, and creating connections between team members, will help your company go from a team of brilliant individuals, to a highly-functioning unit. Companies which promote good teamwork typically are more productive, more creative, more innovative and produce a higher quality of work. Not only that, but team members are said to be more satisfied with their jobs.
What are the ways employers can encourage team-building?
Lead by example
If you are responsible for leading a team, and want to foster a culture of teamwork within your company, change starts with you. It is your responsibility to lead by example in everything you do.
This can be more challenging if you have a large or remote team so you need to make sure that you are putting enough time aside to prioiritse communicating with your team. Strong communication is key for building the trust and respect of your team members.
Hugo Anglesford of Doddler comments: “Leading a team in any industry and in any company can be a challenge. However, the concept of leading by example is a tried and tested leadership strategy which does not go unnoticed by employees and those you manage. Leaders who don’t practice what they preach are doomed to failure, whereas the best leaders always lead by example and with clear and unwavering principles.”
Create clearly defined roles and responsibilities
Each team member should have a clear idea of what their roles and responsibilities are. A lack of clearly defined roles can lead to confusion and tension, creating an atmosphere of instability. It is crucial that each team member knows what they are responsible for working on to avoid overlap, tension and the same work being done twice.
When a team member has a clear idea of their role, it gives them a sense of purpose and is important for morale. In addition, setting clear goals and expectations for each team member will mean that people are aligned on their assigned tasks.
Cultivate diverse teams
Having teams that are a mix of backgrounds is better than having an entire team of people who think in the same way. Creating groups of people from diverse backgrounds brings different perspectives and ideas to the table which can help boost innovation, creativity and problem-solving.
Bringing together a group of people from the same background or similar backgrounds can foster a good atmosphere in the workplace and make it very easy for them to get along; however, it doesn’t help bring fresh ideas or offer new solutions to challenges.
Good teamwork relies on bringing a mix of ideas to the table and working together to decide on the best conclusion. This is far better than a team of people with the same ideas whose solutions will ultimately be more one-sided and lack creativity.
Communication is key
Clear and frequent communication throughout the workplace facilitates good teamwork. Although it can be more difficult with larger teams or with those working remotely, it is still crucial. Even if a company operates with remote employees and offers a product that is not physical, such as remotely managed IT services (source: Lucidica), establishing channels of communication are key.
Think about your company’s needs and what tools might be needed to foster regular and high-quality communication between team members. The more that team members communicate, the less room there is for confusion and error – it ensures that all team members are on the same page which can lead to faster turnover and production of more accurate work.
Recognise and reward achievements
Celebrating achievements and wins is a great way to motivate teams and promote a positive morale in the workplace. In addition to individual rewards, make sure to recognise exceptional team efforts. This means that team members are more likely to cooperate and help one another in the future. Make it known in the company that willingness to help colleagues and a “team player” mentality are important qualities.