Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is a success. These words by Henry Ford still rings true for us today. How do we mobilise unique individuals to move collectively towards the same goal? Here are some team building strategies we can take.

 

Set the Example

Team building is successful only when every individual is productive in their own right. And that starts with you as a business owner.

Here’re some tips on how to control your time:

• Do a calendar makeover. Set up appointments with yourself. That means to block out time to complete your priority tasks, manage emails, cast ideas, and even exercise.
• Give buffer time to work. Expect detours and make room for priority tasks to flow to the following day. See your weekly planning as more of a canoe trip to manoeuvre than a hard train schedule.
• Cut down meeting times. Determine which meetings are critical to attend. Require an agenda to be set prior to meeting and stick to the meeting schedule.
• Allow time for habits to form. It takes at least two months to form a habit. So, don’t beat yourself if you fall off the track. Jump right back in and continue.

 

Rid Low-value Tasks

Good team management requires you to coach your employees in sorting out their low-value tasks into:

• Quick kills: things you can stop doing with no negative effects
• Outsource: tasks that can be delegated with minimal effort
• Long-term redesign: work that needs to be restructured

Employees in leadership roles can either outsource these tasks to other employees or employ tech or software to meet their needs. Almost all project management software has a two-week trial period at a minimum. So, everyone can be on the same page for workflow.

 

Fix Clear Goals

Set clear and realistic key goals and priorities for your employees. That way, they will know what to focus on and forgo.

This works best in a one-on-one meeting. For example, how much time you expect them to finish a task from A to Z, such as unexpected client pitch or brainstorming meeting. By doing so, you’re helping them understand the work quality you’re expecting.

Most importantly, don’t micromanage. Describe the outcome and let them determine how to get there the best. Also, for effective communication in the workplace, encourage two-way feedback by listening to your employee’s comments and concerns. Identify their strengths and weaknesses and coach them into success.

 

Increase Employee Motivation

A motivated employee is most productive. Here are the different ways to motivate your employees, especially as a team:

• Encourage team ownership. Encourage collaboration and allow them to make decisions as a team. This helps team building as each recognises the responsibility and expertise each has in reaching the same goal.
• Show appreciation to the team. Appreciating and complimenting a team creates a sense of belonging and purpose to the member. It fosters not only the ‘me’ but ‘we’ attitude.
• Give team incentives. Set goals for the team and reward them as one unit if they reach the goal. A recent study showed that 85% of workers feel more motivated with an incentive. It can come in the form of money, free vacations, extra time off, meals out, drinks and options to finish workday early.

Team building for productivity is no easy feat. But it is possible with deliberate action to practice this daily in our work. We hope you will benefit from these team building suggestions for improvement in the company.