Regardless of the size of your organization, building a cohesive and successful team requires some very basic steps that will contribute to achieving firm goals.
- Define the team goal. If the team is going to be successful, they must all understand what they want to achieve as a group. Once that is established, you can relay that objective to the group and begin to define roles.
- Identify each team member’s role. Whether you have your staff in place or are building a new team, it is still imperative to make sure everyone understands their specific “role” and how that role impacts the overall objective of the team/company.
- Make it fun. Yes, earning a paycheck is fun, but it is also a positive step to implement contests or built-in rewards so that people are motivated to perform their best every day. Contests can, and should, include positive observations by other team members so they can begin to motivate each other as they acknowledge internal successes. You can also include incentives or rewards for the entire group, if designated thresholds are achieved as a team.
- Celebrate success. There is nothing more demoralizing than working hard to achieve a team goal, only to have it underemphasized without mention, immediately moving on to the next goal. Take time to talk as a group and celebrate milestones. Discuss what worked well, and also what could possibly be changed, to reach the next objective.
- Have fun as a group. Scheduling fun activities away from the office is a very positive exercise that will create additional synergy between the team members. For some firms, that means events that carry the theme of a common goal or destination, such as a hike. For others, it’s just something entertaining and enjoyable, such as bowling, a meal away, miniature golf or volunteering, that allows everyone to connect with each other as people, rather than just coworkers.
By implementing these steps, you will begin to create the nucleus of a cohesive group (team) that will help the firm achieve its established goals, while simultaneously improving performance and profitability.
In doing so, every person that makes up the team will also become increasingly energized about their participation in making the firm successful.
