6 Ways To Develop A Successful Team In The Workplace

Successful teams are the cornerstone of a high-performing business. The logic behind it is simple. Good teams work hard, think critically, and face any obstacles head-on. All in all, investing in building great teams is a solid formula for success.

With the current pandemic, team cohesion has taken a massive hit. Employees have been forced to work from home, which has made teamwork difficult. The efforts to maintain stability in teams are still an ongoing process.

However, the majority of the organizations are adapting well and facilitating virtual programs for better teamwork.

But it is not as easy as you might think. You need to build a strategy and stick to a solid action plan. Moreover, with the onset of work from home, managing virtual teams have become harder.

And to help you with that, this article will focus on the key points of building a good team.

What are the key characteristics of a successful team?

Successful teams encourage each other to experiment, innovate and solve problems together. That is what makes them thrive in the long run.

As a leader, you need to understand the different dynamics of such teams. Good teams can be distinguished from average ones by a few key characteristics, such as:

1. Goal-oriented Mindset

One of the critical characteristics of a good team is its approach. They have a strong mindset about achieving their goals in the best way possible. Such teams set realistic goals, implement effective strategies, and track their progress to improve the outcome. Such teams constantly look for ways to enhance efficiency by resolving shortcomings.

2. Dedication and Commitment

Teams that are efficient and effective are dedicated to their goals and objectives. They never derail from their focus and are hundred percent committed to the cause. It is their secret sauce to success and increased productivity. Moreover, successful teams value the concept of deadlines and time management.

3. Accountability

Accountability is a trait where teams understand and accept their responsibilities. And good teams acknowledge the importance of it in their work-life. This makes them aware of the job they need to do to achieve the target. A more responsible team will learn to be more conscious of their actions, which will lead to fewer errors.

Read more: 6 Easy Ways to Foster A Culture of Accountability In The Workplace

4. Open to learning

A significant characteristic of a successful and effective team is that they are always open to new ideas and learning. They are never afraid to experiment and express their views in front of others. They are the first to volunteer when faced with new challenges and are not afraid to fail once in a while.

Read more: Why The Habit Of Continuous Learning Is Important

5. Flexibility and Adaptability

Successful teams align their vision with the organizational mission and values. They are more flexible and quickly adapt to the changing dynamics of a workplace. Take, for instance, the present scenario where the workforce is working remotely due to COVID-19. Remote teams had to adapt to distributed and agile culture while ensuring that workflows didn’t get affected.

How do you build a successful team?

1. Promote Diversity And Inclusion

Diversity in the workplace has been a hot topic of conversation in the current corporate world. With the world evolving on so many fronts, diverse hiring is more of a necessity than a choice. As a leader, you have to acknowledge the tangible benefits it has for a company.

A diverse team comprises individuals with different backgrounds, races, ethnicity, and much more. Every individual has a different and unique thought process of their own. When people within a team collaborate with ideas, they can face any problem with ease. This leads to a high-performing team that can achieve success in the long run.

With a diverse team, you can-

• Boost innovation within the organization

• Improve the performance of your workforce

• Elevate the branding of the company

• Promote a culture of understanding and respect

Recommended Resource: Diversity And Inclusion In The Workplace: A Complete Guide

2. Set SMART Goals

One of the best strategies to build a successful team is to set SMART goals.

SMART is nothing but an abbreviation of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based goals. With the help of it, a team can accomplish any targets without difficulty.

It will make teams proficient in recognizing and carrying out the expectation of their respective jobs.

Setting up SMART goals help a team to-

• Track their progress regularly

• Gain in-depth insight with team-specific metrics

• Work on their weaknesses and cement their strengths

• Celebrate achievements together

Moreover, setting up these goals breaks up the complexity of a task and makes it easier to complete.

Recommended Resource: Effective SMART Goals for HR professionals with examples

3. Define Roles and Responsibilities

Successful teams achieve their goals and objectives by knowing exactly what they need to do. One way to achieving this is by providing team members with a clear and straightforward role description. Another approach is to rigorously train team members on the current workflow and enhance its efficiency.

Defining roles and responsibilities helps in-

• Distributing the work between the team members

• Assigning tasks according to individual skills

• Breakdown of a project based on research and analysis

• Setting achievable and clear deadlines

As a leader, make sure that you allocate different mentors to different projects. Moreover, keep a neutral perspective and assign team heads that possess leadership qualities. Team leaders will be able to assign tasks to team members based on their skills. This will ensure that the job is completed without difficulty.

4. Build Workplace Relationships

Team cohesion is an essential part while building a competent team. A team will not function properly if it lacks cohesion, which raises the likelihood of team conflict. To avoid such situations, ensure that everyone on the team is at ease with each other.

To develop good working relationships that enhance team cohesion, you can-

• Promptly deal with disagreements within the team

• Form teams that are on the same page

• Foster a work environment built on trust and mutual respect

• Prioritize transparency and be consistent with it

Remember that building workplace relationship is not an easy task. It takes time for people to open up with each other. Respect that space and do not rush into things.

5. Make Room for Recognition

For organizations to build a successful team, recognition becomes an essential part of the process. Recognizing your teams for their hard work regularly will keep their job satisfaction at an all-time high. A happy team is more likely to be enthusiastic and dedicated to their job.

By building an appreciation-based culture, you can-

• Inspire other teams to become more devoted to their work

• Reduce turnover rates of the organization

• Foster an employee-centric workplace

• Develop loyalty within team members

However, to carry out a meaningful recognition process, you will need a platform that makes it easy for you to do so. To help you out with that, Vantage Circle provides you with a cloud-based platform that is flexible and easy to use.

One can choose from a variety of reward badges and award titles that the employees will surely love. This will create a sense of belonging in the workforce and build a strong team.

To know more about our rewards platform, click here.

6. Foster Feedback Culture

It is vital to actively listen to what the team has to say to make them feel like a valued part of the company. Your priority should be to fulfill their needs and requirements. You must ensure that they have access to all of the resources they require to complete their work.

And feedback is not only about providing necessary resources. It is much more than that. It provides a channel that can establish trust and transparency.

With a feedback system, you can-

• Figure out the company’s weaknesses and work on resolving them

• Allow the workforce to express their views on an equal level

• Measure and track metrics like turnover, engagement, and satisfaction levels

Remember to keep the surveys engaging and employee-centric. Try to gamify it as much as possible and encourage the employees to put in honest feedback. And to elevate your efforts, Vantage Pulse provides you with the perfect platform that will help you track and measure real-time data.

With the help of the feedback generated from the workforce, you can work on the shortcomings and improve the workplace.

Want to build a better culture for your employees with the help of their feedback? Click here!

Summing it Up!

The development of a successful team will require individual team members to help each other and create good bonding. It will take time and patience to mold each team to bring the best in them. Moreover, with the help of a compatible leadership style, you can boost the process and achieve long-term success. Just remember to follow the strategies and maintain consistency. And if you have any more suggestions, do let us know.

Mrinmoy Rabha is a content writer and digital marketer at Vantage Circle. He is an avid follower of football and passionate about singing. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com