Building a cohesive, high-performing team is vital to business success. Below are things business leaders need to keep in mind when hiring and managing employees in order to build a successful work team.
Communication
Communication is at the center of all successful work teams. It’s what enables a team to function properly, fulfill goals and complete projects. Communication must be a core concern when building a team, so make sure each member of the group is comfortable with the communication channels or willing to learn how to use them. Provide the proper tools for communication as well, whether it’s company phones or project management software.
Diversity
Team diversity doesn’t just refer to a healthy variety of cultures and personalities, but also a diverse set of skills. Diversity is important in any successful work team because it provides a wide range of views and opinions necessary to make well-informed decisions and different viewpoints on issues. Having a diverse skill set as a team will also allow for comprehensive project completion and ensure there is an expert for all the different areas of a job.
Innovation
A team must be innovative in order to succeed and grow. If your team is just doing what has always been done, the results will most likely remain the same instead of constantly improving. Invest in team members who are innovative, always willing to test new ideas and excited about change and improvement.
Responsibility
It should go without saying that successful work teams must be comprised of responsible team members. These are the key players who are punctual, on top of their tasks, goal-oriented and can think with common sense. If a client needs something done, your team members should step up even if it means doing a little extra work or research to get it completed.
Conflict resolution
A successful work team must understand the importance of conflict resolution and be able to apply it in workplace disputes. They should be able to work past differences towards a common goal, and put aside any personal complaints they may have against each other for the job. Knowing how to resolve conflict will make it easier and more efficient for the whole team to operate cohesively, even with differences of opinion and diverse outlooks.
Defined roles and responsibilities
Some team members are able to operate in multiple departments with different sets of duties, but in order to get a project done efficiently you should implement clear roles and responsibilities–especially if there are multiple of them. You don’t have to outline every detail of someone’s job, but you should clarify the roles of the team so different team members know to take ownership of a task. For example, you can have a designated content person for social media, and another for the blog. Be sure they know who is in charge of what.
Feedback and praise
Finally, you must implement a feedback system and understand when to give praise. Feedback is important so your team members understand their strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve in the team. Praise is important so your team members understand what they are doing right, and focus there. In order to build a cohesive and successful work team, you need everyone to have a grasp of their own and their colleagues strengths and weaknesses.
What else is vital to build a successful work team? Let us know in the comments below.
About the Author: Jocelyn Pick
