Companies of all sizes will tell you that regardless of if theirs is a team of five or a team of five hundred, teamwork and cohesion amongst coworkers are essential for functionality. As a manager or a business owner, it is a major function of your role to both cultivate and maintain this bond within your staff. Traditional methods like group outings and activities that require them to rely on one another are a great option, but there are also strategies you can implement on a day-to-day basis to achieve the same goal.
Upgrade Technology
Software and technology are arguably two of the best things you can invest in to help make your employees’ days run smoother. By creating an environment that is modern you are also giving your staff the chance to be able to get more done within the workday. New software and upgraded technology additions will also bond your staff as they work together to learn these new platforms and execute them each day.
One big thing to consider when you are thinking about where tech upgrades best make sense for your business is by identifying the elements that are either the most challenging, or the most layered. Pieces of your business that have an excessive number of steps within the process could likely benefit from some type of software designed to streamline these specific processes. Choosing the right software can also be a daunting task but with the help of product comparison websites like Truely, that task will be much easier. The logistics industry has hit the ground running with this concept thanks to fleet management systems.
Within this industry, managers, owners, and drivers are all required to work in unison, while all being physically separated from each other, as well as in constant motion. Traditionally dispatchers and managers within this industry had to exclusively rely on driver communications to gather the data that was necessary to complete their own tasks, which proved highly inefficient, and at times unsafe. You can review a guide on this site regarding vehicle telematics to learn about all the ways a tech upgrade can help create efficiencies in fleet management, and how the same principle may be applied to your business.
Get Physical
Movement breaks have become very trendy within the corporate world as of late. Placing an emphasis on taking breaks from your desk throughout the day can help your team to focus more clearly, and in-office settings, also encourage your staff to interact with one another when perhaps they otherwise would not. Formal corporate team-building events are a great way to get your team up and moving in a way that allows them to have a guilt-free day away from their desk while still collaborating as a team.
There are several key aspects to consider when organizing a corporate team-building day that can help you reach your group goals more effectively. It is a good idea to think about your specific team members as well as the goals you have for your business as you design this day. Companies that specialize in these retreats are great resources for finding ways to customize the experience to support these goals.
Be Mindful of Boundaries
It may seem counterintuitive to try to build unity by implementing and being mindful of boundaries, but they are in fact mutually exclusive in many ways. As a business owner or high-level manager, it can be difficult to establish authority while remaining approachable, but this balance is necessary. Your employees also need to see and experience consistency from you to feel that there is equity within the workplace.
It has long been suggested that people do not quit jobs, rather they quit companies. Once an employee feels underappreciated or like a line has been crossed, they are likely to move on despite their level of satisfaction with the actual tasks of their job. This applies to team building through focusing on each individual to build a stronger overall team. By building each piece to be strong on its own you will end up with a rock-solid team overall.
Give and Accept Feedback
Most corporate businesses have structures in place for formal employee reviews which can be great to tackle conversations that can tolerate only being focused on intermittently. However, to build a strong team, it is important that you give and accept feedback in more frequent, and casual scenarios. Consistent developmental feedback increases employee engagement supports growth and development and acts as a tool to help identify blind spots.
By both giving and accepting feedback you are encouraging employees to feel comfortable within these discussions. If they are aware that it is not a one-way street, they are more likely to participate and put a genuine effort towards the suggestions and solutions generated. Adding an element of feedback into group huddles and team meetings is a great way to encourage team members to coach each other as well. This dynamic allows them to view each other as team members rather than competitors and in turn strengthens their unified approach and bond.
Clearly Define Roles and Responsibilities
Think of your team of employees as players in a team sport. While they each have clear and individual responsibilities, those roles must also support the team effort. As a leader, it is your job to define and assign these roles and hold people accountable for working within them on an ongoing basis. Identifying if new hires will fit within the system is also an essential function of your role in creating a strong team. Keep in mind that a set of coworkers is a group of people who did not pick each other, this is not like a group of friends who came together by choice, so a managerial push towards professional camaraderie is essential.
By making this common knowledge you are also empowering your team to interact with each other by providing them with the direction regarding who to approach for which issue or project. This strategy also helps to develop individual strengths. By dedicating specific tasks to specific people as a part of their consistent job function you are allowing them to perfect the task and be of service to the team through that channel. A team should operate as a mosaic, whose unique strengths and differences convert into a powerful united force.
