Building a better team

There are some companies out there that run effectively because they are build around great teamwork. If you have a company that is able to run smoothly it is likely that your employees all support one another and they all understand their roles in the company. A team allows people to contribute effectively to the business and it does increase employee job satisfaction as well as customer satisfaction.

How can you get started in creating the right environment for a team to flourish? Teamworking is something that comes from the top-down so you need to set the example for your employees. It is important that you take the time to define each employees role in the company and then to show them how they are valued by the company. When the employees feel like they are needed it is much easier for them to contribute effectively to the organization. Show your employees how their role impacts the team and then how that team impacts the organization.

Getting difficult personalities to get along can often be one of the largest challenges to working as a team. Not everyone is anxious to work together as they may have "red" personalities and this can often lead to a lot of resentment and hostility in the workplace. As a manger you need to hold each employee accountable for their actions and to get everyone to work together for the same outcome. When you sit down with each person on their own it will be much easier for you to get them to respond to you and to see why they need to start responding to one another.

Since not everyone will conform to the team, you do need to explain that differences are welcome as long as they are positive and contribute to the team. You don't want a person that is a hot-head always pressuring everyone else to follow them as it won't be good for the team. You have to teach employees how to communicate in a positive and uplifting manner as this will make for a happier working environment and will really get people to work together as a team. Mental attitude has a lot to do with this so you also need to consider the workloads on your employees and look for stress-reduction help to keep the balance in the office. If a person is overwhelmed, teach them to rely on their team for help. This is a great way to reduce their stress level but to also give others more responsibility within the company and to give everyone a chance to succeed.

As a manager you have to sit down with each employee and find out what motivates them. What is it that encourages them to work harder and to contribute to the success of the team and the company? Learn about their goals and their fears so you can challenge each employee differently and to get them to work harder and outside their comfort zone at times to really push themselves.

Put people on a team that you know will compliment one another. It is important to start out simple and to keep things as clear and precise as possible. Then you can start to see people blend their personalities together to reach the common goals of the company but also to see them excel in their own individual jobs. Your team members have to be excited about working as a team and to always look for proactive ways to help the company. Let them set their own goals with you so they do have something to work towards.