It’s no secret that companies benefit when their employees work well together. Effective teamwork increases productivity, boosts morale, and makes work more enjoyable for everyone. However, some teams seem flawless and cohesive while others are a dysfunctional mess. Teamwork is a valuable skill, but it’s one that takes practice and development. Without it, it’s difficult to progress as a business. Consider the following tips for cultivating teamwork and cooperation within your organization.
Improve Workplace Communication
Open, honest, and regular communication is essential for teamwork. To set a strong foundation for communication, managers should schedule regular meetings to discuss goals and objectives. Each team member should be given the opportunity to discuss concerns and review progress. Managers should also utilize a communication tool such as Slack, Instant Messenger, Skype for Business, or Google Chat to make internal and external communication easier and more efficient. This allows team members to collaborate without having to meet face to face.
Clarify Roles
It can be very difficult for people to work together cohesively if there is confusion or ambiguity about roles and responsibilities. To avoid confusion, each team member should be made aware of their specific responsibilities. It can even be helpful to create a handbook detailing objectives, goals, and roles within the team. This can help to clarify which team members should work on which tasks. This also provides a point of reference if there are any questions regarding responsibilities.
Celebrate Individuality
Whenever a group of people is asked to collaborate on a project, there will undoubtedly be differences within the team. People have different personality types, skills, strengths, and preferred ways of working. For example, some team members might prefer remote work while others prefer working in the office. Rather than forcing everyone to work the same way, allow employees to work in a way that will make them the most productive. Encouraging flexible work practices can respect the individuality of each employee while also boosting productivity and efficiency. Furthermore, assign tasks based on individual skills. For example, if one person is an excellent organizer, let them be the team leader. If someone else is a great public speaker, assign them to be the orator for the group. Celebrating each individual employee’s strengths and personalities will boost morale and foster healthy teamwork.
Encourage Team Building and Informal Socializing
When employees are encouraged to get to know each other, they are more likely to form bonds that will carry over into their performance. You could encourage team building by scheduling low-pressure, informal gatherings to help team members get to know each other. This might be an informal happy hour after work or a meeting for dinner. These low-key social gatherings will help team members learn more about each other and this can boost morale and improve productivity.
Reward Excellent Teamwork
If you want to foster teamwork and collaboration, you can start by recognizing it when you see it. If an individual goes above and beyond to help support a fellow team member, this should be publicly recognized. Make it a point to show appreciation for team members who help one another, as this will foster a friendly work culture where teamwork is rewarded. Teamwork is essential for success, so it is worth your while to recognize this achievement.