A committed team of employees is the driving force behind every company; a group that works well together is more productive, more effective, and of course, more successful. However, a 2014 study published by the analytics company Gallup revealed that around 70% of employees in the United States do not feel committed to their work or their workplace. Building a successful business requires the know-how to build enduring teams; it requires knowing how every member of the team functions and how to best utilize his/her abilities at the right time.
Get Familiar with Your Team
According to a survey conducted by the Queen’s University of Charlotte, around 40% of workers believe that the people in their company (particularly the higher-ups) do not collaborate enough. A successful collaboration demands that you get to know the members of your team – not on a personal level mind you – but to understand how they are wired to think. You have to learn what buttons to push and when to push them and only then, you will motivate them to excel beyond what is expected from them.
Improve Communication
Once you get familiar with everyone, it is time to start working on the internal communication. A 2011 study by the Fierce, Inc. discovered that an astounding 99.1% of workers prefer a workplace where issues are identified and discussed truthfully. However, the study has also shown that more than 50% of executives fail to do so, and are often close-minded when it comes to discussing problems. If your employees are not afraid to come to you with any problem, they will be more open to constructive criticism.
Give Regular Feedback
What many managers fail to realize is that without constant feedback, teams usually fail to stay on track. Some leaders even wait for a problem to occur before they start giving feedback. A survey by the Clear Company revealed that 97% of employees believe that constant support and feedback directly impact the outcome of every project. Natural feedback should be both formal and informal. Even though you need to keep a level of professionalism, stiff and inauthentic feedback fails to be impactful in most cases.
Always Acknowledge Success
With feedback comes acknowledgement; you have to take time and give your teammates the accolades they deserve and do not take this for granted. Data from Aon Hewitt’s database suggests that almost 30% of managers never reviewed results, and more than 50% of those who did never took action at all. If the results are there, examine them and reassure your co-workers that you appreciate their effort.
Collective Vision
Everyone needs to be fully invested in helping everyone else produce the best work possible. Your workers have to feel like they are a part of something bigger and one of the ways to accomplish this is to introduce a dress code. You could even supply them with the uniforms yourself. Apparel manufacturers such as the Clothing Planet offer promotional clothing that will help your employees feel like a part of the team. However, you should also allow some variety (distinctive ties, for example, should be encouraged); otherwise your staff might feel oppressed.
IBM Kenexa, in an analysis of 64 companies, discovered that organizations with engaged employees achieve twice the revenue of those companies with low engagement levels. People often do not take enough time to understand why they are successful. While your ego might get in the way sometimes, always keep in mind that leaders are only successful as their team is. Celebrate every triumph together with your teammates and remember that they are the ones who helped you to cross the finish line.
