To build an effective team in the work place is essential for every manager, because teams are more productive, cohesive and efficient. They however don’t happen by accident – high performance can be achieved only by combined efforts of visionary leaders and motivated team members.
There are some basic strategies every manager should follow in order to build an effective team out the employees along productive environment.
- Establishing the common goals. Clarify the team’s purposes by indicating performance goals and figuring how exactly the team contributes to the company’s success. All members should know what to work for, all their goals, as well as the resources to achieve them.
- Clarifying each person’s role in the team. Different individuals have different skills and interests, so make sure everyone is dealing with whatever he or she is best at. Don’t let the team be dominated by the most popular, most aggressive or most ambitious personality. Each one of them should have own responsibilities, and this should be very clear at the beginning.
- Pay attention to conflicts and find the best ways to resolve them. It’s natural for conflicts to arise when you have a group of people, but handled the proper way, they can lead to constructive ideas. The team members will often disagree about various concepts and by working out to find a solution will make them more productive. What the manager should do in this situation is to establish clear, ground rules that allow everyone to be equal. Of course, make sure each member has a chance to explain their point of view. And remember to encourage individuals to resolve problems themselves whenever they can.
- Don’t ever forget you are the leader. You will need to encourage employees to feel more homely at work and to feel your friendly attitude. But don’t make the mistake becoming their friend – the strategy of being one of them may turn against you. You are the person expected to achieve results through your team, and you will be accountable for both success and failure. That’s why you need to hold employees responsible for meeting their goals and solving problems.
- Allow team members to contribute the way they can. Encourage them to make suggestions and give them a certain freedom about how they meet their work goals. Sometimes employees know better what works and what doesn’t, because they have a direct, everyday experience and their ideas may prove more practical than yours.
- Pay attention to minority views and unpopular ideas. Teams will often slip into a group way of thinking, so there should always be people who can see flaws or possible improvements. The most successful managers are those who build a team trust while at the same time encourage the diversity of opinion.
- Use rewards to appraise the team as whole. This will make them even more motivated to work together and improve the team’s performance.
- Use rewards on an individual basis, too. Employees may be a good team, but they are also individuals. You should always expect of them showing a cooperative spirit, developing skills for resolving problems, engaging in communication, and willing to help others.
- Communicate your team’s success. Let the whole company know what a great job you and your people have done as a whole. Don’t forget to mention your personal achievements after all, because without your help, your team wouldn’t be able to achieve anything.
- Don’t mix the two concepts – overall sense of teamwork and friendship, and the actual effective intact team that is formed to accomplish a specific goal. Team buildings, seminars, and activities can easily be turned into simply spending some great time together and nothing more. That’s why, when considering team building approaches, define what a focused work team is.
