Working in a team can be an amazing experience, especially when everyone is in the zone and you feel motivated to do your best and support other team members. If you are in charge of a team at work, you may be wondering how you can improve teamwork and foster strong alignment so that your team can achieve their goals and bring results. Team building isn’t always easy, as you might find that some of your employees may have different ideas, so it can be challenging to find common ground. Today we have prepared a few strategies that you can use to get your team on the same page.
Make Communication A Priority
One of the most important aspects of uniting your team is proper communication. You will need to ensure that you are transparent with your team, no matter what is going on. If there are any challenges that you are facing at the moment, you should take the time to communicate with them and keep them up-to-date with any changes that they might need to prepare for. Also, you should answer any questions that your employees might have and address concerns openly to minimise stress. In the end, nobody should be left feeling confused or misunderstood.
Use Objectives And Key Results
Objectives and key results can help you transform your organisation, as you will be able to create autonomy and foster alignment. It can be a good idea to seek professional advice and work with an OKR consultancy, such as 1ovmany, who can assist you with the OKR implementation for your organisation. They will plan, execute, and provide ongoing support to achieve lasting success by developing an OKR-based corporate strategy. Using objectives and key results will change the way your team sets and tracks goals so that you can unite your team towards the company’s strategic mission.
Define Your Purpose
If you haven’t defined your purpose, it will be difficult to keep your employees on the same page, so it can be beneficial to consider your main priorities. It’s also important to make sure that your purpose is a big part of your day-to-day operations. This will help each team member understand their role within the organisation and how their contributions and hard work can make a difference in the bigger picture.
Some things that might help you define your purpose could be:
- considering your customers’ needs
- identifying what your company is uniquely good at
- discovering what team members are passionate about
- looking for suitable business opportunities
Acknowledge Your Team’s Efforts
Your team works hard, so it’s important to acknowledge their efforts and commitment, whenever you can. When you recognise your employees, they will be more likely to feel motivated and inspired to continue doing their best and working together as a team. Moreover, you don’t always need to offer monetary rewards to make your employees feel appreciated. There are other rewards that can be just as effective, such as in-person recognition events, gift cards, free food and drinks, extra holiday days, and more. One of the best ways to ensure your team is happy is to ask them directly what they would want most.
Find The Right Tools
There are various collaboration tools that you can use to keep your team organised and ensure great communication. For example, you may want to look for an effective employee engagement platform, that will help you keep track of how employees are feeling every day. This can also be used to improve the employee experience and offer support to team members who might need it. In addition, you can look for project management tools, which will allow you to get ahead with projects and make sure everything goes smoothly.
Improve Employee Wellbeing
Health and wellbeing are crucial in the workplace, so you should keep a close eye on your employees’ mental health and look out for signs that they might need help. You can also make an effort to encourage exercise by providing employees with gym memberships and free online classes. If you work in an office, it can also be a good idea to get a variety of healthy snacks and drinks, that employees can have to replenish their energy. Make sure you offer flexible working patterns so that each team member can choose when and where to work.
Celebrate Success
Last but not least, don’t forget to celebrate when you reach a major milestone, such as finishing a tough project or meeting a deadline. It’s essential to show your employees that you are happy and proud of the results that you all produced. Consider taking them out for lunch or dinner or organising award functions. Also, spread the word by sharing your team’s success stories on social media and in email newsletters. Depending on each team member’s personality, you may choose different ways to express your gratitude, such as a hand-written note for an introvert or an announcement in a group meeting, if they are an extrovert.