Whether you are an employer or an employee, you will know that teamwork matters. Like a well-oiled machine, the team should work together well, getting the job done while feeling pumped that they have made a difference, collectively and individually. Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight. Like an apple tree, the team needs to be cultivated and developed before it will bear fruit. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips to improve teamwork in your workplace.
Leadership matters
Every team needs a leader. That doesn’t mean the person at the top makes all the decisions, but somebody is needed to steer the ship in the right direction. When arguments break out among the team, the leader needs to mediate and push forward. When people don’t know their roles within the team, the leader needs to delegate according to strength and weakness. When the team is feeling deflated or unmotivated, the leader needs to spur everybody on and lead by example. In short, leadership matters!
Communication is key
Without proper communication, everything will fall apart. A good team communicates well, from offering an opinion to listening to the views of others. This is why team building exercises are so important. Yes, people will groan when the news of a team building day arises, but it doesn’t have to be awful. There are team building exercises that can encourage communication, without being cringey for those taking place. When the team have the tools to communicate to each other, the workplace will become more productive.
Collaboration is everything
A good team collaborates on ideas. Whether it’s brainstorming on a whiteboard or using an
RSS reader to share information, progress will be made on any project when everybody plays their part. No one person has the skills and knowledge to cover every base, and this is why working with others is so important. Skill gaps can be filled by other team members, and a bright idea by one plucky individual could solve a particularly tricky problem that surfaced in the workplace.
The importance of team rules
If you’ve read or seen ‘Lord of the Flies,’ you will know what we mean. Rules need to be set in place before anarchy takes over. Ever sat in a team meeting where everybody talked over each other without regard to what the other people are saying? As we said, anarchy! Therefore, clear rules need to be in place and imprinted on everybody’s mind within the team. This includes waiting for your turn to talk, turning cell phones off, respecting other people’s opinions, and having the forum to be honest about frustrations. With a few simple rules, boundaries are put in place, and people will feel safe to contribute and feedback.
Celebrate success
We all like to be rewarded, and this is a key way of motivating people within a team. Whether a milestone has been reached individually or collaboratively, the idea of recognition and celebration should be woven into the ethos of the workplace. There are many ways to offer a reward, and this will remind people that goals are worth striving for, as well as improving motivation within the team.
Do you have any ideas about developing teamwork? Let us know.
