When you think about it, workplaces can seem a bit strange.
A group of complete strangers are thrown into an environment where they need to work towards a common goal. Disagreements and arguments are sure to arise at some point although we blogged about some effective ways to deal with workplace conflict last year.
The key to a productive and successful business is to get everyone pulling in the same direction. Your team need to, well, work as an actual team otherwise efficiency is going to plummet.
We have 3 ways in which you can help you staff work as a team to maximise your output and create a healthy and fruitful working environment.
#1 Make Creativity A Positive Thing
So someone in your team has a new idea. It sounds a bit ‘left field’ and it gets dismissed by everyone else pretty quickly. What do you think the result will be?
That person is likely to be disheartened by their idea being ignored and might not contribute much to the team for a while after. This will only result in decreased performance and a lack of motivation.
Encouraging creativity and, dare we use some business jargon, ‘thinking outside the box’ is a great way to foster new ideas and get everyone’s opinion. A team should be able to praise and criticise each other but ensure that every idea is given consideration and a reason why it might not be useful.
#2 Clearly Define Everyone’s Role
Teams work best when every member knows what they are doing.
When there is vagueness about each person’s role there is likely to be conflict as people step on each other’s toes or simply don’t know what job they are supposed to carry out. Your staff will work far better together when a clear process is put into place.
The best teams are those where work is allocated fairly and each member is clear about what their job is and what everyone else’s role is too.
#3 Building A Cohesive Unit
Co-workers don’t have to be best friends but they do need to get along with each other.
A good team is one that not only works together but also reaps the rewards of their work as a unit as well. Team bonuses rather than only focusing on individual achievements helps to create a positive environment while team building exercises and get-togethers can achieve a sense of cohesion within the group.
Your staff don’t need to be with each other all of the time (that can have the opposite effect of building a good team) but there should be some bonding beyond the 9-5 working day.
Turning Your Staff Into A Team
A bunch of employees who don’t get along or who aren’t comfortable working with each other will result in inefficiency, reduced productivity and regular workplace conflict.
Turning strangers into a team doesn’t simply happen overnight. The process can be a lengthy one however as long as you define everyone’s role, allow each member to express their own ideas and opinions while focusing on activities outside of their jobs to increase comradery then your staff will start to work together as one.
A team isn’t created within a week but with solid foundations you can build a cohesive unit that will benefit the business overall.
