Creativity, innovation and productivity are all increased when people work as a team. As well as having a positive impact on your business’ success, when your staff work as a team, it is likely that your employees will experience a greater level of job satisfaction, further motivating your workforce.
It’s no secret to employers and business owners that a strong level of teamwork will bring multiple benefits to their organisation, but what’s the best way to encourage and enhance teamwork in the workplace?
Constant communication
Strong and positive communication is the foundation of all good teamwork; great ideas can be built upon, while problems shared are problems halved. Though it would be naïve to think that each team or department in your business will always agree with each other, if they are happy and comfortable working as a team, staff will feel more comfortable sharing their ideas – as well as questioning or even challenging others, in order to move forwards towards a well-thought-out and considered solution
Set clear, realistic objectives.
Good communication is only effective if your teams have clear goals and targets to meet (or exceed!). Ambiguity can cause issues within teams, as it leaves room for disagreement or misunderstanding regarding the end goal and each team member’s aims and contribution.
Rather than leaving anything to chance, instil confidence and motivation in your teams by setting clear short-term and long-term goals. Hitting targets will bring your work teams closer and give the group and each of its members’ motivation and confidence that is sure to build and build the more you encourage teamwork in your business.
Recognise individuality
While it’s incredibly important to encourage teamwork and unity, as well as building morale – it is also important to remember that each member of your workforce should be valued for their personal, individual contributions to the team and, more widely, the business. A main purpose of teamwork is to bring together staff with different strengths, weaknesses, approaches and opinions, so while teamwork can have a fantastic impact on your organisation – don’t forget to ensure that everyone feels appreciated and valued.
Celebrate Internal Success
Taking the time to celebrate even the smallest victories is an easy, simple yet very effective way of rewarding and encouraging great teamwork. Receiving gratitude and praise from peers, line managers and other senior staff will make your employers feel valued and appreciated, and celebrating each milestone or goal will further gel your teams.
Lead by example
When trying to encourage any new objectives or approaches in the workplace, it’s vital that it goes all the way to the top. Employers, senior staff and business owners need to practise what they preach, or else risk their initiatives falling flat.
While leadership and teamwork are different virtues, they are closely related and it can be strongly suggested that a great leader must also be a great team player. As well as setting an example for your workforce, be sure to encourage your line managers to lead from within their teams, with isolating or separating themselves form the team’s goals, successes and failures.
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