7 Steps To Build Great Teams At The Workplace
The biggest asset for any company is its people. It is these people that help you stand out and keep you a cut above the rest. This is because they work in teams towards a common shared goal.
Companies do not need "good" teams to grow, they require "great" teams to grow. One might wonder why the word "great" is used for teams. Everyone wants to have a good working experience, but the truly best places to work have great teams.
What makes a team great? What are the qualities that make them stand out? Here are a few reasons:
Great teams work towards common goals.
They are the leading decision makers.
Great teams work in streamlined processes.
They resolve conflicts in an amicable way.
Team building is an essential part of work in any company. It does not matter which sector you work in, the principles are universal. It applies to project management, services management and is known to be effective. These steps if applied well will help you build great teams at the workplace.
So what are you waiting for? Read on....
1. Building Trust:
The team consists of people who have their own and unique way of going about work. They can agree or disagree on certain aspects and even recommend changes.
When working in a team, there will be exchange of information and resources. A good manager will trust the team members and let them complete the work. This will build confidence in the team members.
Since they work on projects, team members get familiar and know how one reacts to a particular work. The feeling of cooperation will be more if there is a general acceptance among team members.
2. Create a competitive atmosphere:
One of the best ways to encourage team members to work is to create an atmosphere that is conducive for work. This is possible by providing some kind of incentive to individuals or groups.
You will be encouraging team members to think out of the box and create new plans and ideas. The competitive spirit once kindled can go a long way to ensure that the work will be highly productive.
This will also help you identify future leaders whom you can depend on for future projects. The incentive will also increase the cooperation among team members for work. You can create a reward based system which will recognize individual contributions.
3. Focus on common interests:
It will be easy to get the work done if all the team members are given well defined roles. Each one of them must be aware of the work they have to do and the role they play in the team.
Team members must have common goals and a strategy in place to achieve them. This means mutual cooperation for different work areas and shared information.
They must be aligned with the project vision and work together without any conflicts. They must set aside their differences and work towards a common goal.
4. Create a team identity:
This is to motivate team members and make them be loyal to each other from a work point of view. Some of the great companies of the world follow this practice of creating a team identity.
You can encourage team members to build a new logo outlining their beliefs or what they stand for. They can assign a team name and logo for themselves. This encourages them to identify themselves at work.
Events such as project completion, promotions can be a part of team activities. The members can associate with the team name and follow a common value system for all work related tasks.
5. Conflict Resolution:
There is no team present in the world which does not have any disagreements. These are bound to happen as many people associated with the team have a different way of thinking.
They have different work habits which may lead to conflicts at work. It becomes very important to let these people know how to handle other ways of thinking.
It takes motivated minds and a positive attitude to resolve the inner conflicts of teams. Those that can handle them well will be able to work with all and deliver fantastic results.
6. Recognize team achievements:
The best way to motivate a team to work more hard is to recognize their efforts. There are individuals who sometimes contribute towards the team and make sacrifices.
When their efforts get recognized across the team, it gives them a sense of achievement. This in turn will have a ripple effect on the entire team as everyone is now motivated to perform better.
Companies follow different practices to recognize the achievements of team members. You can take them for a team outing, award them or give them a few days off. Some companies also arrange for team lunches and holiday trips.
7. Build healthy working relationships:
The concept of working in a team does not mean that you stick only to work. You can connect with a team member at a personal level and get to know how he/she reacts in a particular situation.
This is helpful in situations when there is a lot of stress as there is a lot of tension in the air. Getting to know how a team member would react at that time would be of immense help. It is necessary that team members get to socialize and learn about each other.
A good manager will foster healthy relationships with team members. They know that keeping the team in a positive frame of mind directly affects the work output. It is important for team members to know each other and create a working relationship.
These are the seven steps that will help you create great teams at the workplace. A manager must always remember that the people who make the team are the biggest assets of a company.
The working relationships of team members must be nurtured right from the start. You will get outstanding results and achieve success if you follow these seven steps. This will drive your business growth which is what you desire the most.