8 tips for effective teamwork
Teamwork is very important for the effective functioning of the company. Read our tips.
In the article you will learn:
If you work as a team leader and are responsible for the functioning and results of a work team, you know how difficult and long-term this process is. On the other hand, working as part of a team is characterised by higher efficiency, better quality results and also greater enjoyment of a job well done. Read our tips on how to build and maintain a successful, high-functioning team in your company that reaps success and doesn’t have to struggle with the competition.
Several studies have pointed to the fact that promoting teamwork in the workplace has a positive impact on productivity and quality of work, creativity, innovation and job satisfaction, which in the long run will help the company to move forward.
Participants who worked in a team, as opposed to those who worked alone, were able to cope with more challenging tasks and also showed more interest as well as enjoyment in their work. These employees were also more motivated to complete assignments and generally performed better. Team spirit can be built over time as long as team members are motivated and their performance is rewarded.
How to improve teamwork in the workplace?
1. Good communication is the key
Communication within the team is key. Although it sounds like a cliché, it is often forgotten. But maintaining clear and good communication, especially in a large team or a team that works remotely, isn’t so easy anymore. According to the study, only 27% of all teams are satisfied with how their team works during an assignment.
Conversely, up to 65% of teams do not feel that their team is functional and think that if they could work better together, the result of their work would be much better. Communication issues are therefore a major problem in teamwork.
Sufficiently open communication in the workplace will ensure that all team members are on the same page, leading to more efficient work in a shorter period of time. Direct and honest communication helps build trust among team members, which also improves overall performance. Unclear instructions and communication noise are common problems and can only be eliminated by fostering team spirit, for example through joint extra-work activities.
2. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
If a team player is unsure of his own roles and responsibilities, it often creates tension in the team. Teamwork is therefore also important to ensure that each team member knows exactly what they are responsible for and that there is no overlap in projects. The resulting work will be of much higher quality and there is no risk of multiple employees working on the same task or forgetting an assignment.
If multiple employees are working on the same task due to confusion in responsibilities, invaluable time and team effort spent on the task is lost. Each individual should be held accountable for achieving team goals, tools, and mutual support. Establishing clear goals for each team member helps maintain consistency with assigned roles and responsibilities. This is the only way ideal teamwork can look like.
4. Diversity and inclusion in the team
To build a successful team, it needs to be diverse and made up of unique people with different experiences. So it’s important that it’s not just made up of like-minded members. Every single team player is then likely to bring different perspectives and interesting, original ideas to the table. With multiple perspectives comes more thorough decision-making.
People often tend to surround themselves with persons who think and act in ways that reflect their own thoughts and actions. Although a group of like-minded individuals can get along great together, as a team leader, focus on the bottom line and ask yourself these three questions:
- Will this team bring fresh ideas to the table?
- Will team members encourage each other to look at the project from all possible angles?
- Will the team members be so imaginative that they will come up with innovative ideas that no one will question?
If all team members think alike, come from similar backgrounds, and have the same beliefs and opinions, the work the team produces is likely to be one-sided and less creative. If each team member has unique views, beliefs or backgrounds, the team’s results are likely to reflect a greater amount of creativity and innovation.
3. Build trust in the team
Working in a team with someone you don’t trust completely is counterproductive. For this reason, trust is a necessity if you want to lead a successful team. Trust between team members is also strengthened, for example, during joint physical activities, simple team building activities, but time spent together over lunch also works quite well.
It is also important to encourage team members to interact with each other, even outside of working together. Not only will this build trust, but it will also boost morale and employee job satisfaction. Teamwork is more enjoyable if you like the people you work with.
5. Autonomy in decision-making processes
Trust in your team members is essential in decision making to build trust and improve teamwork. If people don’t have the autonomy and authority to make decisions about their own work, they often begin to neglect it. Therefore, it is extremely important that each team member has a voice in the decision-making process to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their own work and assignments.
6. Managing team meetings
Team meetings, however often they happen, should be used to:
- planning,
- brainstorming,
- reflection,
- sharing ideas.
Team meetings should be clear, concise and useful in order to increase productivity. No matter how often teams meet, they should have a structured plan for each meeting. This will ensure you have organized and productive meetings, which will also improve team performance.
7. Reorganization of team dynamics
If some team members are not doing their tasks or responsibilities, it is important to make some changes. Don’t be afraid to assign tasks to someone else. This is the only way to improve team dynamics and productivity. If team members have tasks that they can’t complete, it will have a negative impact on the entire team.
In most teams, the work is dependent on one or more team members. It is therefore important to ensure that all members are assigned appropriate tasks that allow them to use their skills and show their potential. As a result, they will be able to carry out their job duties much more quickly, easily and naturally.
8. Team learning opportunities
How can you expect everyone to be a perfect team player if they never learned to work on a team project? Some people may take it for granted that they work in a team, but it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. If you want to maximize the benefits of collaboration in the workplace, it’s important to provide your team with the proper training and guidance.
Employee training and development will not only increase teamwork skills, but also employee engagement and satisfaction. Employee training and development through workshops and qualified guest speakers are great ways to ensure that all team members understand the importance of teamwork in the workplace, as well as how to be an effective team member.
Careers and education are interlinked. That’s why it’s vital to expand your knowledge and skills in both professional and personal development to make a difference to your work team.
Patience brings roses
Effective teamwork has the potential to increase employee satisfaction and productivity while reducing fluctuation, ultimately helping the company achieve higher profit margins. Every company benefits from promoting successful teamwork in the workplace. Effective teamwork doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. It is supported by joint company teambuildings, which not only strengthen relationships but also settle any previous misunderstandings and disagreements.
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