Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, months where your team just doesn’t seem to gel? I have and in my experience, the most common challenges to great teamwork can be boiled down to 4 main causes:
- Lack of defined roles and responsibilities
- Lack of training and support
- Assuming that everyone is self-motivated
- Communication
In this article, I’d like to show you a few ways to prevent and/or overcome the challenges and build a dynamic team.The top considerations in building or maintaining effective teams are: selection, development, motivation and communication.
Selection. It’s never too late for this aspect. First, define what you need.Next, make as list of the skills and qualities that will deliver what you need. Consider things like: technical skills, formal qualifications and soft skills. Soft skills are critical because you want to be sure your team can get along and represent your company in a professional manner. You could discover the need to simply reorganize the team.
Development. When we shift our view from team selection to team development, we still have to look at strengths and weaknesses but we begin looking at them as a collective. Think of what the group does well and not so well. This allows you to select the most effective ways to make the group a more cohesive unit. Some of the most successful development ideas I’ve used include:
- Provide team learning opportunities such as a seminar on a relevant topic for the group or challenge them to complete an online course.
- Nurture any spark of interest or passion you see. If you see a team member with an interest in another aspect of the business, encourage them to learn more about it.
- Find a community cause and think of ways for the team to contribute during office time.
Motivation. Once you begin to develop your team, they’ll see your interest in them personally and then they become more motivated to do well and to grow with you. Foster an environment of respect through consistency and recognition. The most effective method I’ve ever seen to keep a group motivated is to stay dedicated to them.
Communication. It’s far easier to reach a goal if everyone knows what it is. Formally, you’ll want to communicate your policies, procedures and your direction. Your policies should be documented and accessible. Procedures ensure everyone knows their role and timing. They also smooth the way when someone has to step in and cover a teammate’s work. Less formal communication happens one-on-one or in small groups: as you stop to chat with a co-worker or taking breaks together for example. Be respectful of your team-mate’s time. The last thing you want is to encourage an environment of constant interruptions.
Working with others is bound to have its challenges: stressed out or high maintenance team mates, personality conflicts, power struggles and competing agendas to name a few. Through effective selection, development, motivation and communication, you can usually difuse or eliminate these challenges quickly and get back to building a strong, effective team.
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