Being part of a great company culture is vital to business success. Building a healthy workplace culture that optimises teamwork not only increases employee satisfaction but productivity.
However, even the most skilled teams can experience difficulties. Whether that’s poor communication or low engagement. If effective teamwork fails to happen naturally, it can cause serious friction.
Below are pointers and suggestions on what you can do as a manager or leader to streamline your teams efforts and performance.
What Actually Makes Good Teamwork?
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Be an example of integrity
Here is a simple rule. You cannot expect of others what you don’t exemplify yourself.
The brilliant thing about people is that we tend to emulate the characteristics and behaviours of those who we look up to or respect. This is a well known fact in psychology, yet one that can be easily disregarded as too simple.
Everyone is accountable for the work culture that is built and maintained in-house. But as a manager or leader, you come first in that structure. By treating your own role, responsibilities and relationships with co-workers the same as you’d want others to, they will be inclined to do the same. Leading by example can help you to achieve effective communication. Effective communication support strong results which keep the business moving forward.
Ask yourself:
- How much do you actually know about the individuals that make up your team?
- Do you value constructive feedback as much as you do positive feedback?
- Is feedback a regular activity or put on the back burner?
- How often do your co-workers come together to brainstorm or collaborate?
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Encourage Open Communication In Your Team
Open communication will allow people to feel comfortable enough to share their ideas, speak openly, and voice their opinions.
An essential element of psychological safety described by Professor Amy Edmundson, Harvard business School, as a ‘felt permission for candour’.
‘Psychological safety is a shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks. To express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes — all without fear of negative consequences.’
Candour in communication looks like;
- Honest feedback (constructive or positive)
- Explaining things practically and fully. Don’t leave team members in the dark about what is happening around them.
- Exemplifying consistency, honesty, & accountability in your role.
Communication is a two-way street. Employees should feel that what they have to share will be considered and is valuable. For the same reason, it is vital to set aside time for team building activities with the intention to get to know each other on a personal level. This will also help foster mutual trust and respect, as well as understanding.
Get people talking by organising an after-work team event. Even making an effort to eat lunch together at least once a month will help.
Read more about psychological safety here.
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Teamwork Needs Defined Roles & Responsibilities
Your people should have a clear understanding of the role and the responsibilities they have within it. Transparency of everyone’s roles within the team can help reduce any confusion and minimise potential conflicts.
There should also be set processes in place for working on team projects. This includes for when things go wrong. Transparency and strategy will help mitigate setbacks, provide live feedback and support open communication.
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Minimise Conflict In Your Team
It is common for there to be conflict within a group of people at some point. Conflict could arise for a number of different reasons, such as communication breakdown, personality clashes, etc.
How conflict is managed should be made clear, explaining what members should do if they have an issue, how they should handle it and who they should report this to. By making this clear from the beginning, it can help to navigate negative situations quickly to help the team move on and maintain a healthy working environment.
It is also important to get regular feedback to identify any current issues. It’s optimal to address issues as soon as you become aware of them as problems could become bigger over time, creating divisions in the group.
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Teamwork Requires Balance
Although different people will be working on different tasks, do your best to ensure that everyone has similar workloads and that there isn’t one single person who is bearing the brunt of the work on a regular basis. One of the main advantages of being in a team is being able to work together to share the workload during busy times – this includes the manager too. Don’t be afraid to get stuck in and practise what you preach.
In addition, remember to customise your employees experiences. You can do this through personalised development plans and providing them with the tools and support to take ownership of their personal professional development.
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Avoid Micromanaging
Although it’s important for you and your people meet regularly together and with their manager, it’s imperative that you avoid micromanaging. Ensure that you give your team the time and space they need to work without feeling like they’re being watched – micromanaging stifles all creativity.
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Teamwork Needs Open Feedback Cycles
A culture of accountability and candour are so important when encouraging feedback cycles.
Employees should regularly receive frequent, honest feedback from their managers and from each other. Recognising when team members have done something well will boost confidence and morale and will encourage your team to continue their good work when they can see their effort is appreciated.
