How to Build a Team That Works
Every leader and HR specialist has heard it: Teamwork makes the dream work. However, building team a strong team takes skill and time.
Some teams need to focus on specific skills, such as sales, leadership and conflict management training. Others need to work on overall teamwork and company culture. Regular team building activities are a great way to achieve this goal.
1. Identify Your Goals
In the early stages of team building, it’s crucial to get everyone on the same page about their goals. This can be a difficult question for some people to answer, especially if they’ve never been asked before or don’t feel comfortable talking about their personal life at work. Depending on the culture of your company, different questions may be appropriate. However, you want to focus on asking goals that are relevant, measurable, and achievable.
Many goals are made up of a series of smaller objectives that build on each other to achieve the final goal. Help your team members identify these milestones so they can see the path to success and be encouraged by their progress. Make sure to discuss these goals regularly, such as during one on ones or in a group setting.
2. Recruit the Right People
Bringing in new team members should always be seen as an opportunity to boost productivity. However, a poor hire can actually be detrimental to your business. They’ll require frequent followups, retraining and disciplinary action, taking up your valuable time.
You need to find individuals that understand their thinking is improved by collaboration and have skills to help teams thrive. Ask open-ended questions like, “Tell me about a time when you were part of a team that worked well together.”
You should also consider company culture when assessing candidates. You need team players who fit in with your business’s ethos and can effectively communicate across departments. Keeping your team cohesive isn’t an easy task, but it can be one of the best ways to achieve your goals.
3. Create a Structure
Team building is an important part of creating a successful business. It provides a clear framework for goals and tasks, as well as establishing responsibilities.
There are several types of team structures you can use, including a flat structure, which creates a balance between employees and leadership and reduces hierarchy pressures. This type of structure is ideal for small businesses that want to improve collaboration and communication.
A functional structure groups together employees with similar job functions, such as salespeople and marketers. This type of structure is good for promoting teamwork and increasing productivity. It also provides an opportunity to highlight individual talents.
4. Build Trust
Trust is one of the key components that make a team work well. It increases productivity, collaboration and innovation. In addition, teams in high-trust workplaces experience greater employee satisfaction and higher energy levels.
When a team has a strong sense of trust, members feel comfortable sharing ideas without worrying about retaliation or negative feedback. This allows for more open and honest dialogue, which improves problem-solving and iteration.
Creating a culture of trust in your team requires consistent effort. This includes clearly defining roles and responsibilities. Additionally, it’s important to follow through on your promises. Lastly, it’s crucial to show your team that you care about them and respect their individuality. This is the best way to demonstrate that you can be trusted.
5. Encourage Collaboration
When employees feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves, they are much more likely to stay at the company. This doesn’t just boost morale – it also helps them to better understand how their individual contributions help the team achieve its goals.
Encourage collaboration by providing safe brainstorming spaces and encouraging open communication. Ensure that all members of the team know that it is okay to disagree, as healthy disagreements can lead to innovative solutions.
Finally, make sure that your team collaborates effectively by providing clear objectives and ensuring that all members are assigned realistic tasks relative to their abilities. It is also important to celebrate the success of your team, as this will further encourage collaboration in the future. This can be done through emails, quick meetings, or even recognition at a team event.