How to Improve Teamwork

Ideas for Improving Teamwork

Pre-planning of Goals and Objectives

~ Team members comprise different people who are expected to work together to attain certain objectives. ~ When a team is formed, members are explained about the goals and objectives and the time period required to achieve them.
~ Every member is responsible to come together and plan out a way that would lead them to their target successfully.

Appointing a Team Leader

~ A team leader's duty is to encourage and lead the team members to do quality work and achieve the set target.
~ A leader has to understand that all team members have different personalities and attitudes, and while working in a team, there could be a clash of opinions, leading to internal conflicts.
~ It is, therefore, his responsibility to resolve or at least minimize such conflicts.

Ensuring Free Flow of Speech

~ The most essential factor for the success of a team is communication.
~ Ideally, the team leader is the decision-maker, but it is important that he hears out other opinions too.
~ A good team leader is one who encourages members to participate in discussions, provide ideas, and then collectively find a way to reach their goal.

~ Regular meetings should be organized to review the development of the project and to record the contribution of each member.
~ This will help in boosting the morale of the team members and make them understand their progress at work.

Maintaining Cordial Relationships Between Team Members

~ Teamwork involves interaction between individuals, therefore, it is beneficial if the members know each other well.
~ It is quite common for team members to have issues with eachother.
~ However, every individual should understand that they are professionals, and to achieve success, they need to bury their personal hatchets.

~ Employees should realize that their contribution is necessary for the progress of the project and that the success achieved would be the result of a collective endeavor, and not an individual one.
~ It would also be great if the team members could be able to interact outside the work place to know each other more. This would help in increasing a sense of togetherness at work, thus improving teamwork.

No Intragroup Competition

~ Competition is important for an individual's growth.
~ However, unhealthy competition among group members can hinder team spirit.
~ One should understand that each person has his/her own strengths and weaknesses.
~ Rather than competing with each other, one should learn from the others and improve one's performance.

These factors will help in creating a cordial environment at work, as well as increase the quality of work. If a team is not performing well, one should try to understand its causes and try to make changes to bring about improvement. When members in a team work together with a common goal in mind, success is sure to come.