Having a great team who work together positively and cohesively is vital to the success of a business. Teams that work well together are more productive, innovative, and capable of overcoming challenges more effectively.
The website wework, describes teamwork as follows, “Teamwork is primarily about how people interact with one another. Great teamwork happens when the skills and attributes of a group’s individual members can be combined in an effective way”, and they go on to say that teamwork is, “the combined effort of a group to achieve a shared goal”.
Improving teamwork doesn’t happen overnight though so make sure that you use our guide to understand what it takes to craft a high performing team.
Communication
Effective communication is the foundation on which successful teamwork is built. Team members should be encouraged to share ideas, give and receive feedback, and feel confident in raising any concerns openly. The way in which teams communication can take various forms and will most likely include a mixture of general day to day conversations and work related discussions, regular team meetings and 1-1s. Making use of collaborative technology may also be appropriate for your business teams particularly if working remotely to enable real time communication, information sharing and project management.
Roles and Responsibilities
By establishing clearly defined roles and responsibilities within a team you will avoid confusion and the potential for work being duplicated or falling between cracks as one team member thought that another was doing something when in fact they weren’t. Having distinct roles and responsibilities also ensures that everyone understands their tasks and how they contribute to the team’s goals and ultimately the team’s success. Team objectives also help to bring together individual efforts so that they align with the overall team mission. When looking at roles and responsibilities it is important to understand the mixture of strengths, skills and knowledge within the team in order to maximise teamwork to its full potential.
Culture
The culture of a team should reflect the overall culture of a business and we have looked at the importance of culture in a previous blog. A positive teamwork culture comes about when everyone in the team trusts and respects each other. Everyone then recognises and appreciates the contribution of their teammates which builds a strong and powerful team dynamic. A team who has a great culture will also regularly recognise and celebrate team achievements, both big and small as this helps to maintain high morale and motivates members of the team to maintain high performance. This recognition fosters a culture of appreciation and encouragement which leads to staff feeling valued.
Team Building
When creating a new team, team-building activities can be crucial in order to strengthen relationships within the team and improve collaboration. These activities help employees who haven’t worked together before to understand the strengths and personalities of their teammates which enables connections to be made more easily. Social interactions, such as team lunches or after-work gatherings, can help team members to get to know each other better on a personal level as well. A team which has strong personal connections generally works well and has high levels of co-operation and harmony. This means that any potential conflict is minimal and does not prove disruptive for the team or the business as disagreements are resolved quickly and constructively.
Training and Development
For some employees, working in a team may not suit their personal style or they may not have previously worked in a teamworking environment so by providing training sessions focused on teamwork skills you can equip your team with the tools they need to collaborate effectively. Training and development for your teams will make sure that your team remains adaptable at times of change and able to deal with new challenges more easily.
Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace leads to a richer exchange of ideas and better problem-solving. By fostering an inclusive teamworking culture where diverse perspectives are valued, everyone will feel comfortable and able to contribute.
Improving teamwork in the workplace is an ongoing process that requires commitment and effort from all involved. By implementing these ideas, your workplace can experience improved teamwork, leading to higher productivity, job satisfaction, and overall success in which everyone thrives.
Do you have any questions about todays blog, need help in becoming legally compliant with contracts/policies or can we support you in taking away any people pains to give you peace of mind?
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Why not also check out our blog on a similar topic The Importance of Workplace Culture
We also have a YouTube channel with loads of handy videos outlining various HR related scenarios.
