Teams are a key element in organizing work in today’s corporate world. We need to take into account the fact that teams develop and mature over time.
But how to make sure that your team is developing in the desired direction?
Build people and they will take care of the business
To successfully develop a team and the team you are developing to be successful, begin with establishing relationships:
- Manager-employee
- Colleague-colleague
They are built on mutual respect, tolerance, and trust. The latter is very important!
Trust between you and your team comes first. It may be difficult to assign tasks to your people and leave them to work unattended at the beginning. If there are genuine trust and respect between you, the employees will work equally well in both situations.
Don’t use your authority or sense of superiority when organizing and leading a team. Be transparent and open.
In a professional environment, team members need to know that their colleagues:
- Fulfil their promises
- Support the team’s goals
- Help during challenges
- Can rely on each other
Earning someone’s trust takes time and effort. Have patience and be tolerant. Take part in team-building exercises and show the team that they can rely on your guidance.
Establish relationships with each of your employees
Take the time for each member of the team. Try to get to know:
- Their skills
- What motivates them
- Preferences
- What they don’t like
These details are invaluable. They allow you to match the expertise and competencies of each employee with a specific problem they (may) face. Help the team increase its productivity and job satisfaction.
You can use the KissTheFrogNow PersonalQuestions deck to help you find out more about each other in a fun and effective way.
As you get to know your colleagues, you will also be aware of some of their unspoken feelings. Show them that they can count on you for the support!
Assist in employee relationship building
As your team develops, the relationships between colleagues will evolve as well. Examine how your colleagues work together. If you run into a problem, take action. Try to resolve conflicts together in a friendly way.
Be impartial and act as mediators. Try to involve members in the decision-making process. Give the team directions and let them find solutions to the problem. This will encourage everyone to collaborate and develop problem-solving skills.
Build yourself to build the team
Sometimes we have tons of obligations and we have no time to take care of our personal development. Becoming aware of the following characteristics is vital:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Limitations
- Ambitions
- Habits
These things will help you contribute to the development of the team. Self-awareness is a key characteristic of a strong mentality. In business, such a skill is imperative to achieving high results. Your team needs guidance!
A strong leader may be the answer to their need. That is why it’s important to invest in leadership team development. It will prepare you to handle:
- Unexpected obstacles
- Losses
- Success
Get to know others
‘Fly your own way’
Everyone has a unique workflow. Do not force employees to follow a specific model. Allow them to be creative and apply their solutions to problems.
Just as you know your strengths and weaknesses, so should you identify those of your employees.
This will help you understand how to organize the team to:
- Unleash its’ full potential
- Improve weaknesses
The best way to understand others is by doing the following:
- Analyze emotional cues (verbal and non-verbal) – tone of voice, body language, etc.
- Be an active listener and pay attention to details
- Look at the problem from a different perspective
- Help according to the needs of the person
By learning about their work styles, team members can understand why people do what they do. Team Building games are a great way to find out those patterns.
Encourage teamwork
In addition to establishing relationships with and between employees, you need to help them work together effectively.
Encourage the team to share information (not only professional). People need to understand that their opinion is valued and respected. Personal experience is useful when giving advice or providing moral support.
You should get involved as well! Don’t just conduct the team building sessions. Join the discussions. Employees sometimes need to share their ideas and spend time chatting!
Create a list of basic team rules
As you and your team strive for maximum results, a list of rules and regulations may be helpful. They will guide your actions and approach. There is no specific model to follow when creating these rules. They can be:
- Short – Team members should be on time for meetings.
- General Guidelines – Each member of the team is entitled to offer ideas and suggestions.
- Behaviour Standards – Be creative in problem-solving. Try to look at the situation from a different perspective. Never give up until you have given all you got!
- Tips – When you are angry, take a deep breath and count to 10 so you don’t say something rude!
Make sure the team creates these ground rules together. Everyone must agree with the list to engage at a group and individual level.
The rules are subject to change and should be flexible. They reflect the needs of the team. Following rules simply because they exist is not an effective practice. They are designed to improve team development.
Identifying training needs
You have come a long way from getting to know yourself and the team to creating rules. Now what?
Specify the needs of the team members for their development. Review and update their job descriptions and talk to each member about their career development. Asking the right questions can reveal gaps in the knowledge and skills of your team.
For example, what is the key part of a person’s role? What is the main issue with your team performance?
Create a culture of managing workplace efficiency. It is a system for regularly assessing and improving people’s performance. Gathering information about what employees need in order to be successful in their roles will help them adopt an optimistic approach towards their development.
Assess the training needs and determine what skills should be developed for each team member. Then it is time to choose the type of training.
Choosing the right training methods
After identifying areas in which your people can improve, you need to choose the training that suits their needs. A good example is the Model 70:20:10:
- 70% of training occurs through practice
- 20% by communicating with others
- 10% through traditional training courses
Why don’t you combine things and ask one of your more experienced colleagues to teach and guide the beginners? You can also use instructor-led training. A coach will train your team through various activities and games.
Conclusion
Team development is a never-ending process. At every stage of the adventure, the team needs a person who will provide:
- Guidance
- Training
- Support
You don’t have to do everything yourself. Let us help you!
