The Foundations of Effective Employee Teamwork

It’s not just the quality of the employees that determines the success of the enterprise. Arguably just as important is how well those employees can work together. A company that has a series of individual employees may experience some success, but it’ll be nothing like the success it would have if those workers functioned as a team.

Of course, every business wants its staff to have a team spirit. After all, it’s good for business. But the truth is that this rarely happens all on its own. It’s up to the business leaders to put the framework in place that makes it possible. In this blog, we’ll look at some effective ways to enhance employee teamwork at your organization. 

Successful Onboarding

It’s much easier to make an employee feel a part of a team from the first moment they join the company, rather than trying to incorporate them into the team at a later date. After all, our first experience tends to be how we go on. If you’ve taken the time to hire an employee that you know has a sense of teamwork, then be sure to onboard them successfully. How you do this will depend on the type of business you’re running, but for some general tips, check out this article. 

Robust Communication

You can’t expect your employees to have a sense of teamwork if they don’t communicate with their colleagues. This is especially an issue if the team works remotely, but it can also be a factor even if everyone works onsite. As such, it’s important to ensure that your team can talk to one another without difficulty. There are multiple ways to do this, and it’s best to provide as many different methods as possible. For example, you might have an advanced business telephone system that keeps your team connected no matter where they are. You may also set up a company Slack channel and host company video meetings (or in-person meetings) that help to put a face to names. 

Getting to Know One Another

The majority of the interactions that your employees will have will be professional and work-focused. But studies have shown that employees that know their colleagues on a more personal basis tend to enjoy going to work more, and they also have a better sense of teamwork. An employee will be more likely to work long hours if they genuinely enjoy who they work with! As a business leader, you can facilitate the growth of personal relationships by hosting employee get-togethers. This could be as simple as having after-work drinks at the office on Friday afternoons, or it could involve spending weekends away as a gang. 

Of course, attending these events should be voluntary, not compulsory. But in general, you’ll find that people are interested in getting to know who they work with, and that could bring real value to your business — you never know what creative collaborations could occur when people get together!

Setting Goals

All teams should be working towards a goal. Otherwise, things can begin to feel a bit pointless. Even if there’s a great connection between team members, if there’s no way to measure their performance and there’s no growth then eventually the magic will begin to fade. Work with your employees to create realistic team goals. This has the benefit of keeping your team focused and satisfied while also benefiting the business. 

Gathering Feedback 

You might be the leader of the team, but that doesn’t mean that you’re the only voice that matters. The voices of your team members do, too! It’s hard to feel part of a team if you don’t have any say in what’s going on. You can make your employees feel valued by asking their opinion about company changes and events, as well as their experience of working at the company. This will help to boost individual employee satisfaction, which in turn will lead to better teamwork. 

Analysis and Changes

Finally, remember that instilling a sense of teamwork isn’t just something that you do once. It’s something that you should evaluate and change from time to time. Just because there’s a sense of teamwork right now, that doesn’t mean that it’ll still be present in a year’s time. You’ll have many other responsibilities on your plate, but there’s value in keeping an eye on what’s going on with your team, and if spirits seem to be dipping, organize something to bring it back to the level required to make great things happen.