There are 120 hours in a 5 day work week and we spend 1/3 of those hours with our Co Workers. So it is no surprise that TEAMWORK is a huge topic of discussion within the business world.
Here are 5 things you can do to increase, encourage and improve TEAMWORK– where you work!
1- Keep The Bar High
Working in an atmosphere where Excellence is the name of the game- encourages staff members to perform at their best. Since each member’s performance impacts the overall TEAM performance- setting high standards is one of the best ways to encourage TEAMWORK! People love to be involved in something larger than themselves and being part of a successful, excellence minded company can produce great results both individually and as a team.
2- Identify Strengths & Weaknesses
In Jim Collins’ book Good To Great, he talks about having the right people in the right seats on your company ‘bus’. Identifying the individual strengths and weaknesses on a team encourages TEAMWORK by making sure additional frustrations are not added with improper task assignment. Conflict caused by the inadequacies of any member of a team can wreak havoc on the team overall. When the individual members of a team are fitted properly to their roles, productivity and enhanced TEAMWORK are a natural byproduct.
3- Encourage Honest Feedback
Open and honest feedback delivered in an environment committed to Excellence produces great TEAMWORK! When everyone is looking for ways to improve, ways to be of more service and ways to recognize their team members, the work environment benefits. This is a step that requires practice, effort & integrity. It is so easy to overlook poor work performance and chalk it up to an individual occurance- the challenge is that Excellence & TEAMWORK require constant attention to the details in order to maintain. When a team of committed individuals can commit to honest feedback (both giving & receiving)- the end result is a stronger more cohesive team.
4- Develope a Recognition Program
Everyone loves to be recognized for their efforts & great teams are no different! Having your personal efforts and results awarded promotes TEAMWORK. Fun & often inexpensive ideas can go a long way! We have a ‘Pass The Star’ trophy that is consistently passed to various members of our team for their Above & Beyond efforts. An email outlining the reason for the recognition is sent to the entire team and the trophy is placed on the recipient’s desk. Little things like this encourage the team to perform better and recognize the efforts of their coworkers.
5- Have Fun On & Off the Job
Since we spend so much time AT work- we may as well have fun doing what we do! If members of our team are not having fun and enjoying their daily activities- poor performance and a negative team impact is not far behind. Often times, a few hours spent together outside of work can also help the fun factor. Getting to know your team outside of the confines of the work environment, helps promote closeness and more understanding. A team that can play & work together has a much easier time developing the kind of TEAMWORK that creates magic in the workplace!
GO TEAM!!!
Cheri Perry
Monday, March 12, 2012
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