There are many benefits to ensuring your team works as a cohesive unit. Some of these include increased productivity and greater motivation for everyone. However, what exactly can you do as a manager to bring your team together?
In this article, we’ll address that question and go over five ways you can promote stronger cohesion within your team.
Keep on reading to find out more.
1. Communicate effectively
In any workplace, open lines of communication between employees of varying ranks and positions will make for a more unified team. This can be done in many different ways, but some of the primary elements required include being transparent with company objectives and policies, as well as sharing results and problems that may have impeded them.
Effective communication also entails that every team member is aware of each other’s roles and motivations. A good place to start is by introducing each employee personally to the rest of the team and holding monthly team meetings where everyone is encouraged to share their thoughts. Also, as the leader, you may want to set an example and practice open and respectful communication whenever you address your team as a group or as an individual.
2. Set clear goals for everyone
Identify the goals you want to achieve as a group using a framework such as Objectives and Key Results, and create clarity on how each team member contributes to the greater goal. This way, everyone involved knows what their contribution to the whole is, and this may give them a heightened sense of worth within the team. Also, clearly articulating what is expected from each member will allow for better accountability to make solving problems and interruptions in work easier to overcome.
3. Play team members to their strengths
Make sure each team member is challenged and learning within their role in a way that enables them to experience and be recognised for success. This will effectively motivate them to perform their duties well, and it gives them a sense that their own individual strengths and abilities are valued within the organisation. When each team member feels that their skills are being put to the best use possible, the whole team benefits.
4. Hold team-building exercises
Practice collaboration within your team by putting them in situations where they need to achieve a common goal by working together. This can be performed in a variety of activities, and most of them are actually enjoyable.
In doing this, you can create environments where team members can get to know their colleagues better, which builds trust, respect, and an understanding of each other’s expertise.
5. Add diversity
Include people from different backgrounds into your team so that opposing viewpoints and open discussions are allowed to take place. This may also lead to valuable insights being discovered when creative solutions and compromises are made. Additionally, a diverse set of characters present in your team can prevent individuals from feeling alienated within the group.
6. Celebrate success
Reward yourselves when goals are reached and possibly surpassed. Verbal praise is an excellent motivator for many people, and giving it in the presence of the entire team will go a long way in making them feel valued for their efforts. You may also choose to celebrate more extravagantly by sharing a meal with your team or giving them a token of your appreciation for all their hard work.
Wrapping up
Consider all the ways mentioned above and remember to apply them when managing your employees. Whether you’re the leader of a small group or at the helm of an entire company, these practices are effective methods you can use to make your team work better as a whole.
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