23 Jun Three Strategies To Improve Team Connection
A well-connected team is the backbone of a successful business. Such teams tend to be growth-focused, more productive, and less stressed.
Here are 3 strategies that will help you improve your team’s connection and enjoy the benefits of a well-connected team.
Organize team processes
The first step towards a well-connected team is organizing team processes. After all, teams who know who does what, why, and how will be able to avoid most, if not all negative conflicts.
First, define clear team goals. They will create a common purpose and a sense of togetherness for the team — but also, provide a clear direction of work.
When defining team goals, ensure they align with the mission, vision, and values of your business. Also, make them S.M.A.R.T — i.e., specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will make it easier to organize goal-related work and track team progress.
Next, define clear roles and responsibilities. They will help teammates understand what tasks they need to focus on and how they can contribute to the team goals. This will also help avoid misunderstandings in terms of who should do what — and the problems that come with it.
In the end, think about the workflows. How will you handle project work? How will you provide feedback? How will you mitigate setbacks? Clear guidelines in this department should help the team spend less time on logistics and more time on actively pursuing goals.
Streamline team communication
The second step towards a well-connected team is streamlining team communication and making it effective.
To achieve effective team communication, you’ll need to follow the 7 Cs of communication. In other words, you’ll need to ensure the way you convey information is:
- Clear — i.e. direct;
- Concise — i.e. complete;
- Confident — i.e. assertive;
- Coherent — i.e. logical and consistent;
- Courteous — i.e. respectful;
- Correct — i.e. grammatically and factually accurate.
If you follow the 7 Cs of communication, people will be able to understand the points you make, quicker and easier.
You’ll also need to practice active listening when others convey information. In other words, you’ll need to learn how to:
- Signal interest — maintain eye contact, nod, and verbally encourage the speaker;
- Be focused — think about what you hear, and not about what you want to say in reply;
- Ensure you understand — paraphrase, summarize, and reflect on what you hear.
For effective team communication, it’s also important you centralize communication. Team chat apps like Slack or Pumble are a great way to keep all your conversations in one place — especially if you’re a remote or hybrid team.
Build a great team culture
The final step towards a well-connected team involves building a great team culture.
One strategy you can employ for this purpose is organizing team-building activities and get-togethers.
Team building activities such as communication exercises or problem-solving games can help teammates understand how they can better work together.
Get-togethers such as office pizza parties or team lunches are a great opportunity for the team to socialize in a casual setting.
Another great strategy is implementing a buddy system.
A buddy system is great for onboarding. You’ll help new teammates better adjust by pairing them up with seasoned teammates.
However, it is also a great solution for establishing a support system for all teammates, as it increases morale and engagement.
To form the right type of team culture for a culturally diverse team, help teammates learn about each other’s cultures.
For example, include the holidays of teammates’ cultures in your team bulletin. Then, celebrate them at work when appropriate.
Last, but not least, celebrate the team’s successes. For example, provide praise for the team at in-person meetings or via a public channel in your team chat app. This will show teammates that their contributions matter and that their teamwork pays off.
Conclusion
The road to a well-connected team may seem challenging — but, it is worth the effort. When you organize team processes, streamline team communication, and build a great team culture, a group of individual professionals will grow into a successful team.
About the author
Nikola Radojcin from Clockify – a free time tracking tool.
Nikola always liked to keep things as organized as he could. That’s why he thrives on researching new time management and productivity techniques and sharing them with others.
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