How to work well in a team? A team is not just a collection of individuals. A team must be a real working group. Each member of the team must work not individually but with all the others to achieve a common goal. To do this, they must share common values and a vision of accomplishing the work.
In return, teamwork must be a source of fulfillment for its members. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and look at how to work well in a team, with some tips that should help you achieve your goals.
What is teamwork?
If it is always possible to work alone, one is very quickly held back by one’s limitations. It is, of course, impossible to know everything and how to do everything, and time is not extensible. Also, the work that can be accomplished by one person alone remains limited, even if it can be substantial.
A team is a group of professionals brought together to work on a common project. But it is not enough to bring together a few people to form an effective team. The members of the group must share ideas and values that create a link between them. This bond will motivate them and lead them to cooperate to successfully carry out the project that will be entrusted to them.
1. Focus on a single communication channel
Successful cooperation depends above all on smooth communication. For this, the ideal is to use a single platform that brings together all the discussion modes needed by your company’s internal resources. With the spread of teleworking, this solution should at least combine live chat, private messaging, video conferencing, and audio calls. Your teams will be able to choose between a synchronous or asynchronous exchange mode depending on the nature and urgency of each discussion.
Too many companies still rely solely on email, a practice that is harmful to productivity. According to a study, an employee receives an average of 58 emails daily (1 every 8 minutes), disturbs his or her concentration. Worse still, studies suggest that 60% of emails are not read. These are two good reasons to switch to open communication!
2. Centralize useful resources
On average, employees spend 7.5 hours a week searching for internal information. To simplify overall teamwork and cooperation on each new project, we recommend creating a repository of all useful resources (work guides, roadmaps, and more) in a cloud storage platform. In their professional version, tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box allow users to cooperate in shared documents where every change is recorded in real-time.
This way, all team members will always have the most recent version of each file in front of them. On your side, you will have a precise history of changes. This resource will allow each teammate to work more independently and efficiently. At the same time, this shared knowledge will facilitate the integration of recruits, who will find in this database the answers to their questions and, if necessary, the transition documents prepared by their predecessors.
3. Align the objectives
A team is a bit like an orchestra: everyone must have a score to fulfill their role. As a manager, your role is to provide clear direction on the tasks. For successful cooperation, it is essential to expose the global purpose of each project (which you can pin in the dedicated discussion group) and set precise and quantifiable objectives for each collaborator.
To keep the troops’ morale high, we advise you to break down each objective into short-term deliverables. This way, you can celebrate each step taken, ensure that deadlines are met, and check that everyone is moving forward without deviating from their goal (this is the best way to prevent the tunnel effect). To facilitate your work distribution, we recommend the Asana tool: you can create an unlimited number of tasks and projects and invite all your teams to participate.
4. Pooling differences
In a team, each person brings his or her unique experience and skills to the table: this collective intelligence makes it possible to meet ambitious challenges. To bring out innovative solutions, establish open communication. Why not hold brainstorming sessions where everyone can share their ideas? To set an example, you can open the ball by asking your teams if they have suggestions for improving project management.
Because yes, working in a team also means sharing knowledge and making the most of everyone’s skills! To contribute to co-development, you can also ask for feedback from your collaborators (in a respectful and benevolent way, of course). At the same time, you can launch a self-help group where everyone can ask for advice or lend a hand in their preferred areas.
5. Strengthen cohesion
Teamwork means team spirit. For successful cooperation, your staff must get along well but also learn to function together. As a manager, your job is to ensure cohesion (just like a sports coach would!). Ideally, you should bring your employees together in informal, friendly activities to break the ice and strengthen the bond between them. In an office context, you could, for example, propose yoga sessions or organize an after-work.
To be on target, you need to find an activity everyone can enjoy. In a telecommuting setting, a good practice would be to set up coffee breaks, create an informal discussion group, or commit together to a charity. The possibilities are vast. The goal is to create solidarity in the effort (physical or mental) and to understand each person’s personality better.
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