Copyright 2005 by Sergey Dudiy, Ph.D.
You have permission to reprint this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as you keep the
resource box.
A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
Top Nine Tips for Better Teamwork and Team Building
Team building and teamwork skills are critical for your
effectiveness as a manager or entrepreneur. Even if you are
not in a leadership role yet, better understanding of
teamwork can make you a more effective employee and give
you an extra edge in your office.
Team building success is when your team can accomplish
something bigger and work more effectively than a group of
the same individuals working on their own. You have a
strong synergy of individual contributions. But there are
two critical factors in building a high performance team.
The first critical factor of a teamwork success is that
all the team efforts are directed towards the same
clear goals
, the team goals. This relies heavily on good
communication in the team and the harmony in member
relationships.
The other important element is the diversity of skills and
personalities. When people use their strengths in full, but
can compensate for each other's weaknesses. When different
personality types balance and complement each other.
Here are some additional team building ideas, techniques,
and tips you can try in your situation.
Make sure that the team goals are totally clear and
completely understood and accepted by each team member.
Make sure there is complete clarity in who is
responsible for what. Do your best to avoid overlaps of
authority. For example, if there is a risk that two team
members will be competing for control in certain area, try
to divide that area into two distinct parts and give each
more complete control in one of those parts, according to
those individual's strengths and personal inclinations.
For issues that rely on the team consensus and
commitment, involve more the whole team in the
decision making
process. For example, use group sessions with
collective discussions of possible decision options or
solution ideas. What you want to achieve here is that each
team member feels his or her ownership in the final
decision, solution, or idea. The more he or she feels this
way, the more likely he or she is to agree with and commit
to the decided line of action.
Make sure there are no blocked lines of communications
and you and your people stay fully informed.
Build trust with your team members by spending one-on-
one time in an atmosphere of openness and honesty. Be loyal
to your employees, if you expect the same.
Allow your office team members build trust and
openness between each other in team building activities and
events. Give them some opportunities of extra social time
with each other in an atmosphere that encourages open
communication. For example, in a group lunch on Friday.
Be careful with interpersonal issues. Recognize them
early and deal with them till full resolution.
Never miss opportunities to empower your employees.
Say thank you or show appreciation of an individual team
player's work.
Do not limit yourself to negative feedback. Be fare.
Whenever there is an opportunity, give positive feedback as
well.
Finally, though teamwork and team building can be
challenging, the rewords from high team effectiveness are
well worth it.
Sergey Dudiy, Ph.D., is a personal growth writer and
web entrepreneur, founder of
Time-Management-Guide.com, the definitive guide to
personal time management and goal setting.
He also publishes free
Time Management Fortress newsletter, dedicated to
building a stronger foundation for your success skills.
Time management tips main page
Time management tips give bite size chunks of practical advice on how to make your personal time management system work. Tips on prioritizing, planning, scheduling, time logs, productivity, and so on.
