When a business runs smoothly, chances are there are multiple staff members behind the scenes that are working together to ensure the success of the company. Most often, it takes a committed team to make a business prosper. Having those who are masters at multiple skills can benefit the company with high-quality work. However, if they cannot work alongside everyone else in the office and the team falls apart, the business and everyone inside it will suffer.
When you employ a team that works together and communicates efficiently, the business benefits in multiple ways. Productivity will increase, staff members will motivate each other, and creativity and innovation will surge as the team bounces ideas off one another.
These desired results are not always easy to obtain. Management must implement ideas that foster a sense of teamwork to effectively shape a productive atmosphere in the workplace.
Curious about how to promote teamwork in your office? Consider the following five tips.
Define Clear Expectations
The management team in an organization must clarify their expectations of developing a teamwork culture in the office. When you identify expectations in the office, the staff will know what they need to work toward.
As you communicate expectations, take steps to ensure that your team fully understands what you are asking of them. It is one thing to present directives, but that does not mean everyone will be on the same page. Constant and open communication between management and the staff is essential to achieving an atmosphere that encourages teamwork in the workplace.
Build Relationships in the Office
No one says staff members need to be best friends with each other. They do, however, need to be able to work together. If employees cannot work with one another, it will be difficult to develop a team. Establish an atmosphere that promotes healthy workplace relationships amongst each other.
Work relationships also include having a good relationship between management and staff. You want employees to respect upper management, just as employees want to have their boss’s respect. Learn what each employee is like, their work ethics, what motivates them, and what areas they excel in. The stronger relationship you can have with your employees, the more likely you will be the respected leader of the team.
Provide Feedback
Providing feedback to each member of the team is a crucial step in maintaining overall success. Feedback, whether it be positive or constructive criticism, is a way for you to know what is and isn’t working in the company. It is also a way for the employee to identify their own strengths and weaknesses in an effort to better serve the organization.
Provide feedback that is 360 degrees in nature or feedback should be at least a two-way street. Management should offer feedback to the employees, while in turn, employees need to be provided the opportunity to reciprocate. This open form of communication allows for any issues to be professionally handled as both parties strive to improve areas of weakness while capitalizing on their strengths.
Implement Team-Building Activities
Team-building exercises are useful for illustrating what an excellent team looks like by promoting communication and cooperation among staff members. Furthermore, they often provide a much-needed break that provides a sense of teamwork among staff members.
When going through these exercises, employees must work together to be successful. They will discover that when one member of the team does not cooperate, the whole team will fall apart. Everything they learn from team-building exercises can then easily transfer over to their daily work. You will soon notice a difference in the team mentality.
Recognize and Celebrate Success
If you have staff members who are excelling in their department, an individual that is being innovative to help push the company further, or someone that needs an extra pat on the back, recognizing the successes of employees will do wonders in keeping a positive attitude. One of the ways for a leader to keep the team together and happy is by recognizing and celebrating the success of individual members. This is also a way to help gain the needed respect of your staff to attain a well-balanced team.
When you develop an atmosphere in the office that encourages friendships and a team mentality, you will soon notice how much better the staff works together. The result is an increase in productivity and a happier workplace. When your staff enjoys going to work everyday, the atmosphere in the office will significantly improve. All of this contributes to to keeping a high employee retention rate, which makes your organization that much more appealing to future applicants.
About the author
Ben Hoffman is co-founder of CityHUNT, an organization that focuses on developing a team atmosphere for companies by encouraging positive workplace relationships amongst coworkers. Since 2000, CityHUNT has created fun, engaging scavenger hunts for multiple companies across the country. Ben is known for delivering entertaining team-building events that are tailored to each client.
