10 Tips for Better Teamwork
Teamwork is one of the most sought-after skills across all job markets right now. Teamwork is both a soft skill and a transferable skill. What does that mean?
Whereas technical skills can be easily taught, soft skills have more to do with personality traits and personal qualities. Developing them takes time. That is why good team players are golden.
Transferable skills are those that are relevant no matter the circumstances. We’ll talk more about that below. Check out the following 10 tips, designed to help you improve your own teamwork skills and foster better collaboration between your team members at large.
Professional resume makers make it easy to add teamwork skills to your resume. After all, your resume can be a team effort, too.
1. Realize You Are Part of a Team
Whether you are in a band, an office, or working remotely, you need teamwork skills. Why? As mentioned above, this skill is highly transferable. No matter your job, you will be working with other people at times. To do this effectively, you need to be good at working as part of a team.
So, realizing that you are part of a team, even if it is not so named, is the first step. Identify your team members. Who do you work with regularly? Once your team is clearly defined, you can start implementing each of the steps below.
2. Communicate Effectively and Respectfully
Open communication is vital to team function. The team leader should have an “open-door policy;” team members should feel comfortable approaching them at any time. Ideally, team members will also feel comfortable initiating communication with each other.
All communication between team members should be honest and respectful. Nobody likes a rude team member. According to Brightwork, you should “establish acceptable standards of behavior and deal with conflict as quickly as possible.”
Good communication is essential to completing the next step as well.
3. Clearly Define Roles and Goals
Have you ever been a part of a team where you felt like you didn’t know what you were supposed to be doing? Team leaders have the responsibility of clearly communicating the team’s goals and each team member’s unique role in the group.
The team should have a common goal. This will align everyone’s efforts. Post that goal in a visible place and refer to it often.
Each member should also understand their roles and responsibilities. According to Indeed, “When each member of the team understands the role they play in meeting the project goals, they’ll be able to stay focused on their responsibilities towards the project’s success.”
What about a team leader? “We often think of teams as highly democratic entities whereby each member contributes equally,” says Peeps HR. “However, without a clearly defined leader, the whole foundation could dissolve.”
4. Reward and Celebrate the Good
“Rewarding team members for meeting early goals and/or making significant progress helps your team members stay motivated and on track for the project’s completion,” says Indeed. It keeps up group morale as well.
5. Get to Know One Another
Teambuilding exercises are a good place to start, but it doesn’t have to end there. Take your team out to lunch or have it catered. Talk to them, and give them a chance to get to know one another in a casual setting.
6. Make Decisions Together
Try to include all team members in every decision. This will increase their sense of belonging; no one will feel like they were excluded from important team matters. You may even discover that various team members can make useful observations or contributions to the decision that you hadn’t thought of.
7. Provide Constructive Feedback
As noted above, good communication is essential. When respectful communication is the norm, it will make it easier for team members to accept constructive feedback when the need arises.
8. Delegate
Learning to delegate can be difficult. You may feel that a certain task is your responsibility or that only you can get it down right, on time, etc. You will free up valuable time and team members will have a chance to enhance their skills.
9. Leverage Your Differences
Every member of your team has a different personal background, work experience, and skill set. Celebrate those differences. Listen to their input as they provide unique perspectives and viewpoints on the challenges you face. Use those varied skills and experiences to the best advantage of the team.
10. Create the Ideal Environment
Some companies have a work culture that fosters teamwork; others don’t. If your workplace falls into the latter category, you may have to work hard to create an environment in which your team can flourish.
One way to do this is by regularly reviewing performance. You can do this in a short weekly meeting.
You should also encourage creativity. According to Indeed, “Creative problem solving and experimentation are vital concepts to engage in as a group. Doing so can utilize everyone’s unique perspectives to create more varied solutions.”
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