Many companies find it difficult to implement the concept of teamwork among employees, usually because they believe it is a quick process with immediate results. However, as important as it is, implementing teamwork takes time and requires changes in organizational culture, that is, in the way the company interacts with its employees.
To disseminate this concept, it is necessary that certain practices are applied in the company's day-to-day activities. Therefore, in this text we will develop the concept of teamwork and present the 6 fundamental habits to encourage teamwork! Let's start?
What is teamwork?
Teamwork is the practice of integrating the work of team members in order to make the execution of tasks simpler and more agile, generating a better result.
See also: collaborative work
Thus, teamwork is not just a group of people working together, but the habit of valuing the friendly coexistence between employees and collaborative work, in search of improving the work environment and the company's performance. Keep reading, and we'll introduce you to the main habits that encourage teamwork!
6 key steps to promote teamwork
Among so many habits that develop the idea of teamwork in companies, there are 6 that are fundamental to make this possible. Are they:
1 – Be present
The manager of a team must follow each part of the execution of a function, to understand how the members work and relate to each other. In addition, he must be available to answer any questions and solve any problems that the team finds, ensuring that no obstacles affect the final result.
A manager who is always around and helps his employees is treated with respect and, despite being a figure of power, is treated as an equal. Employees see you as an example to follow and thus strive to improve as professionals and deliver better results.
2 – Know your collaborators
More than employees performing a role, teams are made up of people. It may seem obvious, but often the employees of a company don't know their colleagues that well. This impersonal working relationship gives the illusion of focus on roles, but in reality it alienates team members and makes work more automatic and boring.
When employees get to know each other, however, there is a relationship of empathy and friendship between the teams. That is why it is recommended to implement integration dynamics that encourage casual interaction between employees, in addition to constantly valuing working together.
3 – Encourage dialogue
Encouraging dialogue is not just valuing the friendly interaction between employees, but also the resolution of small conflicts and rational discussion in the face of obstacles and decisions. A team that does not communicate is not able to work in an integrated way, as there is no feedback on the result of a step or decision-making on a problem in the execution of a task, such as lack of resources, for example.
If the team is in the habit of dialogue, it becomes more independent, as it manages to resolve small obstacles internally. In this way, the end result is more unified and in line with expectations.
See also: communication, a fundamental skill in your daily life
4 – Learn to deal with adversity
Even if teams talk to each other, certain conflicts will be inevitable, especially when there is a clash of opinions. The bigger the team, the greater the chances of disagreements arising. When designing a product, for example, the team is divided between two different styles. As a figure of power, it is important that the manager remains impartial and resolves the conflict fairly, such as through a vote, in this case.
To change the behavior of teams in the face of adversity like these, a whole change in organizational culture is necessary, which can take months to implement. Despite the effort and time taken, the way the company deals with situations of this type directly reflects on the organization's performance.
Be organized and plan
Planning each step of a team's work simplifies its execution and avoids the emergence of conflicts, since it is defined which members will perform that step, how long it should last and how the final delivery should be.
Through these definitions, the team is able to work making better use of their time, and managing to focus on other functions, in addition to the relationship between employees.
5 – Divide the tasks
One of the advantages of teamwork is knowing the competencies and limits of each team member, making the division of tasks fairer. None of the employees are overworked and the chances of burnout happening are lower.
When everyone knows exactly what they need to do, execution of a task becomes more organized and agile, and employees also know where to get help in the face of any difficulty, that is, which co-worker will be able to help.
6 – Recognize and celebrate achievements
When a team achieves a certain goal or delivers a result, but is not recognized for its work, employees feel undervalued and, consequently, discouraged from continuing to strive to perform their duties. That is, they feel that their work has not added anything to the company.
On the other hand, when the manager recognizes the effort behind each result and congratulates his employees for it, they come to understand its impact on the company and work to generate better results. Celebrations can be simple, like a thank you at the end of a project or a reward when a goal is reached. This also helps in the integration of employees, who work together to deliver good results and improve the company's performance.
Now you know what to do to implement teamwork in your company. However, it is also necessary to understand why this practice is so important. For that, we recommend reading our post on 5 advantages of teamwork. Check out!
