On a regular basis, you probably know by heart that team spirit is very important and that your employees need to come together as a team in order to be successful in whatever branch of business you may be. Even when job applicants submit in a resume, they’re always careful to include a mention that they’re team players and consider what they can bring to the business to be imperative to the team’s overall success. But simply being supportive within a team is not enough. You also need to be able to step up and take all the necessary steps to make the team efficient. Every team has many members and personality types and leading and managing this kind of team isn’t easy to do either. If you want to be successful, you need to inspire your team to reach that point along with you.
Know how to put the team together.
How do you know what kinds of people will best work with you and what characteristics you need to have on board to help out? You can’t compose a team consisting solely of just managers – everyone would be fighting each other to take the reins of the project at all times! If you aren’t even sure of what you should be doing within a team, try taking a test with Belbin.com to find out more about what role is perfect for you and then give the same test to your employees to take for themselves too. You may know your employees well enough already to ensure you don’t need to take this kind of test, but be sure to note that when you assemble the team everyone is able and willing to work together to meet the same goal.
Put clear objectives and milestones in place.
Once the teams have been formed and are ready to start working, you need to let them know what you want from them. Your goals need to be clear and well defined. Everyone has a different take on a situation and if you don’t stress what yours is upfront, they may come to different conclusions about what needs to be done. The more detailed you are, the better the results are that will be achieved.It’s also a good idea to break the process down into milestones and provide some loose deadlines in placeto start reaching said goals.
Provide solid feedback.
It’s easy to make mistakes or misunderstand directions so checking in and providing feedback on a regular basis lets your team know that you’re all on the same page and moving in the right direction. Many people working at one place necessarily makes the space for mistakes and misunderstandings. Managing a team sometimes means that your efforts seem to be less visible. Try and recognize the efforts of those working hard and reward them for everything that they do.
Don’t forget to include ground rules.
In order to keep everything under control and on schedule, set some ground rules and regulations. Setting these kinds of rules helps keep good interpersonal relationships in check as well as respectful behavior which aids to the team dynamic.
These kinds of tips can be used on any team. Ultimately, roles and rules have to exist and be put into place if you want to be able to make the work process a smooth group effort across the board. Make those roles and rules well defined in order for people to feel positive when working together and you’ll find everyone will do their best as a result.
Author bio:
Damian Wolf is an entrepreneur and marketing specialist at Cubic Promotions Pty Ltd. He is a part of team for developing new marketing solutions for business clients. When he finds a time for writing, Damian loves to share his experiences about creativity, teamwork and related business topics.