The most effective teams in the world, don’t just ‘happen’; they are a product of great leaders understanding that a cohesive team is worth so much more than the sum of its parts. You can recruit the best people in the world, but if they don’t work together, you are limited to what each person can accomplish as an individual, if you put energy into fostering a harmonious team, you can achieve so much more.
Here are some ways you can improve the harmony in your team:
- Make sure that your team goals are totally clear, completely understood and accepted by each team member.
- Make sure there is complete clarity in who is responsible for what. Do your best to avoid overlaps of authority. For example, if there is a risk that two team members will be competing for control in certain area, try to divide that area into two distinct parts and give each more complete control in one of those parts, according to those individual’s strengths and personal inclinations.
- For issues that rely on the team consensus and commitment, involve the whole team in the decision making. What you want to achieve here is ensuring each team member feels ownership in the final decision, solution, or idea.
- Make sure there are no blocked lines of communication, and everyone feels fully informed.
- Build trust with your team members by spending one-on- one time in an atmosphere of openness and honesty. Be loyal to your employees, if you expect the same.
- Be careful with interpersonal issues. Recognise them early and deal with them until fully resolved.
- Never miss opportunities to empower your employees. Say thank you and show appreciation of an individuals work.
Finally, though teamwork and team building can be challenging at the beginning, the rewards from high team effectiveness are well worth it.
Do you need help building a more cohesive team? We’re experts in this area – reach out to us and we’d be happy to have a chat about your situation.
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