As your team grows, it becomes increasingly challenging to keep everyone on the same page. However, if you want your business to grow and continue to perform productively and efficiently, you have to prioritize teamwork. There’s no other way around it.
The Benefits of Having Your Team on the Same Page
There are few objectives more important to a business team than being on the same page. Likewise, there are few objectives more challenging than getting people to consistently communicate and collaborate in an effective way.
According to research, 86 percent of employees and executives attribute their biggest workplace failures to a lack of collaboration and internal communication. And in today’s virtual environment where remote work has become more of the norm than the exception, this pain point is more serious than it’s ever been.
Entrepreneurs like John Hall, co-founder, and president of Calendar, believe this is one of the most important challenges of our time.
“As a leader, I’m only ever as effective as my team,” Hall explains. “Moving my business forward is impossible without having my team behind me, and I find that a high level of trust and respect leads to a happier and more productive company in the end. No team achieves perfect synergy without some work, however.”
If you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll discover some of the same benefits that Hall and his team have experienced. This includes greater productivity, more cohesion, higher employee retention rates, superior customer service, and a higher degree of trust throughout the organization.
Ideas for Getting Employees to Work Together
Looking for ways to get your employees on the same page? Here are several suggestions that we recommend:
1. Clarify Your Purpose
You can’t have a cohesive team without a clear purpose. The purpose is what allows people to understand the big picture. It also helps them determine how and where they fit into the equation.
If it’s currently vague or unclear, take some time to clarify your purpose. You may also consider starting over and developing a new purpose with the input of your team. (This can be especially powerful if you’re looking for a way to foster greater loyalty among your individual team members. People like feeling involved.)
2. Set Clear Expectations
In addition to having a larger purpose for your organization, it helps to give individual employees and teams clear expectations. Make it known exactly what you expect from them on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. Quantify objectives and create strategic checkpoints that guide employees along.
You also need to set clear expectations around different parts of your business, such as communication. It’s not enough to tell people to be transparent and proactive in how they communicate – you have to give them clear ways to execute.
In this case, try integrating SMS software for internal communication. This makes it fast and easy to share ideas.
3. Encourage Informal Gatherings
We all know that team building is important. However, is there anything worse than being forced into a team-building activity by a superior? It feels forced, awkward, and strange.
The best way to build team camaraderie is to encourage informal gatherings. In other words, give your team time each month to choose activities that they enjoy (rather than forcing them to go to a ropes course or escape room). They’ll choose activities that are enjoyable and naturally conducive to bonding.
4. Reward Positive Behaviors
Employees need encouragement. When you see them acting together as a unit, reward their positive behaviors. This could be something as simple as acknowledging the work they’ve done or as specific as offering a bonus in the form of time off or cash. This may feel small and insignificant, but you’re training people to look beyond themselves and prioritize the organization as a whole. It’s a big deal!
Set Your Team Up for Success
You can’t force your team to do anything they don’t want to do. At some point, they have to make a decision to either follow your suggestions or move on. However, if you’re clear about the why behind your mission statement, core values, and expectations, you stand a much greater chance of getting everyone on board.
Hopefully, this article gives you a strong foundation for proactive decision-making.
Learn more from business and read 5 Best Collaboration Tools for Remote Workers.
