Friday, December 28, 2012

13 Ways To Encourage Teamwork

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." 
  -Andrew Carnegie

Whether you're already the boss or still an aspiring leader, knowing how to encourage teamwork is an essential business skill. Building a team involves more than just putting the right people together.

If you have the luxury of hand picking your team, assess their strengths and weaknesses to ensure the best combination of skills. Surround yourself with excellent people and be careful not to choose clones of yourself. Diversity is good, if the individuals are willing to work together.

A particular challenge arises when you're assigned a group of people who have no interest in being part of a team. A true test of your leadership ability will be creating an environment where each employee wants to work cooperatively and collaboratively. Develop effective teamwork and you'll inspire productivity, quality and loyalty.

share the vision


1- Focus on the big picture

Explain the long-range plans of the company and reinforce them regularly. People often become so focused on today's problems and routine duties that they lose sight of the big picture. When some members of the team concentrate on putting out fires, others can dedicate more time to reviewing processes to eliminate future problems.

2- Define roles

Outline the responsibilities of everyone on the team. This is crucial to the team's success. Understanding each other's duties and deadlines helps people work collaboratively. Encourage the team to define the division of labor themselves. They'll take on more responsibility if they are in control and someone may even offer a previously untapped talent.

3- Set goals