How to Promote Teamwork in the Workplace

As they say, teamwork makes the dream work

Promoting teamwork in the office has benefits on several levels; it gets things done quicker, it builds bonds between colleagues, and generally makes for a more harmonious working environment. It doesn’t happen by magic though; steps have to be taken in order to encourage teamwork in the workplace.

Superior Leadership

How will the team follow in the right way if you’re not setting a good example? Be the leader you’d like to be led by if you were in their shoes, and make clear what the objectives are, and what needs to be done to reach them.

Clear Roles and Responsibilities

People generally perform better when they know what’s expected of them, so make it clear from the start. Overlapping of responsibilities will lead to disagreement, which wastes time and fosters bad feeling.

Proactive Attitude to Conflict

If conflict occurs despite your best efforts to prevent it, you need to act quickly and efficiently to ensure it doesn’t snowball. Make sure the team know what to do when they want to air grievances, and act to resolve them sensitively if and when they do.

Good Communication

Create a culture in your team that encourages openness, including suggestions and ideas. Make sure everyone feels listened to, and knows the channels for communicating their point of view.