Good food is as good as the ingredients and a company is as good as its people. The process is as efficient as a team’s typical work week. An effective team is one with fundamental foundations effectively set towards achieving a common goal. Without a unified body of gifted, passionate individuals who can also work well together, your success will be severely limited. If you want a team that can masterfully execute your company vision, consider implementing these nine strategies.
Hiring
Although the process of building an effective team starts with the realisation of the need for an effective team and planning, the actions start with hiring stage. The intent and expected results drive the process of who should be hired and to outline the requirements for team members who can help further with your organisation’s goals. Apart from the qualifications and the experience, their vision and direction plays an important role in how achievable the goals can be to your team. A team focused on one goal or in one general direction are among the most effective teams. The hiring process can also help put together a team with shared values which makes it easier for them to work together.
Breaking the Ice and establish lines of Communication
A team that can get along are likelier to work well together. Humans are social beings and a support system a closely knit group has to offer in unmatched. Often, staff may not want to work together due to little things not addressed in the group or due to a perceived difference of opinions.
Team work is also about valuing each individual’s contribution, it starts with communication. Every member of the team has a set of unique ideas and capabilities. Team members are less likely to contribute if they have not had the opportunity for initiation and fear of criticism. Creativity and good morale thrives in a team where each other’s ideas, value, experience, are appreciated.
Team Chemistry/Cohesion
A running stream brings fresh water as opposed to a stagnant pond. Stagnation does not bring anything new to a team. Successful effective teams embrace change. New challenges evoke new solutions from the team. They rise to the next challenge and the experience of solving the problem together help build cohesion between the team members. Changes and challenges arise from everything ranging from technology and business ecosystem. As the cohesion builds the team grows in whatever way possible to be effective. These changes are the trends that leaders can keep an eye out for. Each member brings a different set of skillset and characteristic to the table. The diverse nature of these skillsets and characteristic equips the team for self management and a potential for an all round capability development. Even if they aren’t best friends outside work, a team that can get to know each other’s ability, skillsets, idea, builds the team cohesion.
Team Targets
Set a target for the team to achieve, this nudges everyone in your team to work towards the set of goals and objectives. When the goals are clear and achievable it encourages your team to work together.
Rewards and Recognition
Setting targets for your team is only the first piece of a puzzle, the remaining rests in rewards and recognition. A reward or a model for recognition is one of the best ways to motivate your team to work together scheme.
Individual rewards or recognition is ok, but a reward and recognition as a team plays a bigger role in promoting the team’s effectiveness. Individual rewards and recognition can go to the ones that show the traits and initiative to adopt a efficient team work attitude. As a member of the team it’s not just about an individual’s contribution, it’s all about helping each other and the recognition for rest of the team’s performance.
Nurturing a team mentality
Regularly encouraging team-work through team building activities and team-challenges can help nurture team work culture. Everyday meetings can be used to start promoting team-work. Get your team to work together to solve problems in the meetings and offer them challenges that they will need to overcome collectively. A good sign of a team-work culture is a confident team that is in good spirits. A good leadership team keeps an eye out for group-morale; stress levels and takes timely action. Even small gestures like, an encouraging email acknowledging their contribution and achievements can go a long way.
Conclusion
Promoting an effective team-working culture isn’t rocket science. Changes driven as a team and not just as a leadership decision can set a platform for growth of the team collectively. Effective teams are more than a vision or strategy; they set a precedent for productivity and teamwork.
Boobalan Madhavan | AccSource | www.accsource.com.au
Australia
48/237 Miller Street,
North Sydney,
NSW 2060
+ 61 406 727061
boobalan@accsource.com.au
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