How to Build a Great Team?

People strive to be engaged in meaningful work and it is your role as an HR leader, to promote team building and processes that support teamwork.  Many leaders have the wrong idea as to what constitutes teamwork.  It is not attained through self-promotion but through developing a sense of support and trust.  Once company leaders have identified and clearly articulated what they stand for, it’s up to the leadership team supported by Human Resources to build a team environment. When the values and mission resonate with your employees, they will be a better partner and become more engaged in the company’s success.  You will have also created an environment where teamwork is supported and practiced.  Outline below are four tips to improve teamwork at your organization:

Recognize your High Performing Staff

Start recognizing your high performers through public recognition or awards.  Consider creating a process to have fellow employees call-out their teammates who excel and those who take on the challenging projects.  Recognition on the job is one of the key areas that support employee engagement and general job satisfaction.

Improve your Time Management

Conduct an audit of how you spend your time to see where you spend the most time.  If you are a manager, are you interacting with your team by coaching them, and supporting their success?  If you are an individual contributor have you identified the most satisfying aspects of your job so that you can be more productive and excel at those areas where you have a passion to succeed.  Being more productive by conducting an inventory of where you spend your time will help you allocate your time more efficiently and be more effective on the job.

Communicate Daily

Consistently over-communicate and share your ideas and manage by walking around.  Listen to your employees and learn from them as to what is working and where changes can be made.  Be as open as you can with your team to better understand their challenges to improve teamwork and communication.  Communication also includes establishing a time each day to silence your phone, turn off your computer, and get out and connect with your team.

Define your Value to the Organization

The misperception is that small departments have little influence in the overall teamwork at the company.  In the HR department; whether you are a department of one or twenty, the staff often have the ability to influence the bigger company mission by being focused and taking on those projects that may not necessarily be  aligned with HR’s traditional role.  The HR department can be an advocate for teamwork by being a model for other departments to follow and emulate.

Ultimately building a teamwork strategy takes time and is a serious commitment.  By taking the time to evaluate what type of team environment you want to create, HR can influence the culture where teamwork is practiced and supported through the company.