How to enhance teamwork in the workplace

© Vadim Guzhva – 123RF.com

Whether in sports or in the workplace, it is a fact that team efforts are usually more effective than individual efforts. Poor teamwork results in low morale, loss of productivity, absence of trust, higher expenses and lost revenue.

If you are a business owner, manager or team leader, here are some of the ways you can improve teamwork in the workplace:

1. Establish clear team objectives

   For teams to work well, people need to have a clear understanding about the targets they are aiming at. When team members know the destination, their overall effectiveness and performance will improve. However, having clear goals only works when you offer regular team performance feedback.

2. Hold efficient team meetings

   When it comes to teamwork, meetings are very essential. However, you need to ensure that every meeting you call is productive. If there is no value in your team gatherings, people will see them as a waste of time. Having effective team meetings will require proper planning on what exactly you want to achieve. The good news is that tools such as Slack, Trello, Flowdock and Igloo can help you save time and enhance the productivity of your meetings.

3. Celebrate individual success publicly

   Team members need to be aware of each other’s progress. Therefore, when an individual team member achieves some success, be sure to make it visible to the entire team. If possible, offer some kind of incentive to the best performing people. This will motivate the other team members to work harder in order to get similar recognition.

4. Have some fun

   Teamwork should be exciting and fun, not a dreary requirement. One of the best ways of improving teamwork in the workplace is by involving members in fun activities on a regular basis. For example, before starting a training session or meeting, you could have a brief ice breaker. Such activities promote positive attitudes that can help team members surmount challenges. In addition, they build trust and make it easier for people to work together.

5. Outline clear roles

   Each member needs to understand clearly what their role is in the team. Before embarking on any project, take time to allocate specific roles to each member based on their skill sets. Don’t forget to mention the deadlines for each task. Outlining roles will minimize duplication of efforts, thus resulting in better results for your company.

6. Allow team members to make decisions

   One of the main killers of teamwork is limiting team members’ power to make decisions in regard to their tasks. When someone else is making decisions on their behalf, people feel that their views are not being valued. You need to embrace collaborative leadership where individuals are allowed to make some decisions while accomplishing the collective goal.

7. Identify existing problems

   It is important to get regular feedback from your team about problems that could hinder teamwork. This could be anything from personality clashes, confusion over project requirements, inability to meet deadlines and uncooperative team members. It would be advisable to deal with such issues as soon as they arise. Waiting for team problems to sort themselves over time could prove disastrous for your company.