As a leader, you need your employees to be on the same page and work together to achieve the envisioned goals of the organization. We cannot deny the fact that teamwork succeeds by having like-minded people together. Yet, we have to hire a wide ‘variety of individuals’ with different mindsets and personalities.
Generally, over 80% of employees agree that failures of an organization depend largely upon a lack of effective communication and cooperation.
A great leader knows how to make the employees work together instead of engaging in non-cooperative and selfish behaviours.
Reasons behind Lack of Cooperation
As a manager, you must understand that power struggle and competition between the employees can create disparities. Moreover, excessively appreciating one team over another can lead to a cold war. The other reasons might be the race for a salary raise, bonuses, promotions, or simply an ego contest.
The purpose of teamwork in business is to make everyone treat others with respect. It can keep them focused on work rather than personal grudges.
Here, innovation consulting services are of great help that can work with you at each step to improve teamwork at your organization.
6 Ways to Get Your Employees To Work Together
Whatever the case, being a people’s manager, you can make them work together by trying out these innovative solutions:
1. Social Activities
For several companies, social activities for a charitable cause is a great way to make them volunteer together. They see each other as humble and caring individuals, something they are not familiar with at the competitive workplace.
If the employees are extremely rude to each other, consider taking an innovation management course that will help you build a creative and collaborative culture. Your employees only need to be engaged together in the best possible way, which you can learn about through innovation training.
Corporate volunteering would require some creativity from your end to motivate employees for the good cause.
2. Define Roles and Responsibilities
Confusion about each employee’s roles and responsibilities can start the blame game. It’s a great obstacle in achieving exemplary teamwork.
It should be well documented and shared with employees during the onboarding process. It’s not only important for everyone to know the responsibilities of others, but it’s necessary for the teammates to be clear about other’s jobs.
For each team, create a handbook detailing the set objectives, responsibilities and projects.
3. Set Clear Goals
Each employee should know the yearly goals of an organization. During the hiring process, clarify how the employee can keep you updated on company meetings etc.
Along with that, weekly and daily goals of the employees should be made clear too. You can ask the team leader to break down monthly team goals into weekly and daily goals.
To keep the employees motivated, you just have to set measurable goals.
4. Reward Good Teamwork
To promote comradeship, you can reward team achievements through monthly bonuses. Appreciating your employees is the best way to boost their morale.
Even if an individual works collaboratively with everyone at the office and takes initiative to help others, you should appreciate him or her. Some employees do go out of the way to help others whether that is related to the business goals or not. That shouldn’t go unappreciated.
Rewarding and appreciating altruistic behaviour leads to excellent teamwork. A single word of praise can go a long way.
5. Appreciate Individuality
No twins have the same personality type, how can we expect that from our employees?
In the middle of teamwork, don’t forget the individual efforts of your employees.
Simply consider the fact that about 70 per cent of the people stay up late, while only 10 per cent are true early risers. So, take individual needs and productivity graphs in check as well.
Presently, flexible working practices and open-plan offices are in action.
When individuality is celebrated, employees work harder in the team for the organization’s goals.
6. Take Feedback
Creative and great ideas come when individual minds are heard. By involving individuals in team decisions and taking feedback from everyone, you can get a better perspective of the future plans.
Receiving feedback is a great way to make the silent and introverted participants talk to you. Creating an anonymous feedback corner for the shy ones can bring in some of the best ideas for you.
Such involvement of the individuals creates greater respect for the organization as well.
Takeaways
Although it’s a rather difficult task to make your employees work for the organization collaboratively, yet, it’s not impossible. If you need external sources to help you find a way out, innovation training would be the best decision you’d ever make this year. For more information, get in touch with our responsible yet friendly staff member.
