Professionalism in the art of management alone is not enough to guarantee success. Without a coherent team at hand, you will be doomed to failure.
This fact prompts entrepreneurs and companies to invest generously in human resources, which explains the high training and training bills from year to year.
Also, the success of the business model of technology companies in Silicon Valley such as Twitter and Facebook, which relies mainly on employee satisfaction and creating an environment suitable for teamwork, changed the rules of the game.
Building and managing a harmonious work team is not an easy task as some would expect, but it requires adherence to some standards, which we will discuss in this article.
How to Create a Harmonious and High-Performing Work Team: A Step-by-Step Guide
Our team explained the most important practical steps to build a successful and harmonious work team to help companies and entrepreneurs grow quickly and increase productivity at the lowest cost.
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1. Hire professionals
There is no doubt that building a successful work team stems from reliance on talents and competencies, which will not be achieved without allocating sufficient time to carefully review all applications.
It is preferable that the recruitment process be divided into two stages, the first of which is the initial selection based on academic evidence and professional experience.
The second stage is conducting a direct job interview, which will enable you to get to know the applicant's personality and his suitability for the company's culture. If you are managing an online business, I take the opportunity to invite you to browse our article on how to select and hire freelancers .
The guide will help you learn how to check a freelancer's skills before being approved, thus avoiding wasting time and effort betting on losers. Another important point is allocating a respectable budget for investment in training, which helps to enhance the quality of human resources and productivity.
2. Determine the project plan
Advance planning and gaining the trust of employees will contribute to achieving satisfactory results, so it is necessary to convince the work team of the feasibility of the project first. This is achieved by developing an action plan with a clear time frame.
The employee, by nature, does not like ambiguity or taking risks. You can also present the project details to the team to solicit opinions and suggestions, as it may help correct some errors and omissions in the project plan.
Another important note is the need to think outside the box when preparing the plan, which provides an additional challenge and incentive for the team.
3. Distribution of tasks and responsibilities
The effective management of the work team is represented in the accurate distribution of tasks, which helps in the sharing of roles and the knowledge of each individual of his responsibilities.
This step ensures the highest level of performance and avoidance of dependency, especially since the relationship between members of the work team is often not friendly.
It is true that everyone shows mutual respect during the meetings. How difficult it is to know the nature of the relationship that brings together the members on the personal side. The distribution of tasks takes place on the basis of skills, not desires.
The employee must feel the presence of the leader's authority and that his role is complementary and no more.
Also avoid too much favoritism to avoid losing control of the team, especially since vanity quickly seeps into the souls and the personal ambition of employees cannot be curbed.
4. Effective communication
Remember that building a harmonious work team requires knowledge of the most important teamwork skills, of which participation and good listening are the most important of all.
The silent team is vulnerable to collapse and disintegration quickly, as any problem or part that is not discussed sufficiently translates into a difficult problem in the future.
A culture of constructive dialogue and exchange of views should be encouraged to ensure that all team members are involved in decision-making.
Humility is also required when dealing with all members of the work team, which helps to ensure effective communication and strengthen bridges of trust.
For example, one should not reprimand or criticize the performance of a crew member except in private, in order to avoid embarrassment and the negative impact that accompanies the matter.
5. Improving working conditions
Before you demand the best performance with the completion of projects within their approved deadlines, ideal working conditions must be provided.
This ensures that the crew works with all its energy, especially since the mental aspect is very influential on the level of productivity. The work environment can be improved by adopting the following measures:
- Use project management software and make it available to the team.
- Provide comfortable office equipment, especially lighting, chairs and computers.
- Adopting rest times and breaking the working routine.
- Allow employees to work from home if possible.
- Enable employees food coupons or some extra benefits.
- Organizing special parties for the team from time to time.
6. Use emotional intelligence
Great leaders appreciate the importance of emotional intelligence, especially its effective role in creating a healthy atmosphere for discussion and solving problems with minimal effort.
It also allows adapting to different situations and curbing excess emotions.
We can come back in a detailed article on the topic later, but I can summarize the benefits of using emotional intelligence to manage the team in the following points:
- Good listening to others and expressing sympathy at the required level.
- Enjoy prestige and appreciation from team members.
- Read other people's thoughts while anticipating reactions.
- Sound argumentation and ease of persuasion.
7. Take the initiative
The successful manager marries authority and leadership simultaneously, and wields all the powers entrusted to him to keep the team in check.
Also, it is necessary to enjoy a proactive view of the expected problems, by preparing well for the way to deal with any future scenario.
The successful manager is also not characterized by cowardice or surrender.
On the contrary, you find him a race to motivate the team and develop alternative plans.
You should not stand idly by and watch the team collapse, so you must take the initiative to give solutions and make decisive decisions.
For example, if a quarrel occurred, never hesitate to punish those responsible, even if the matter reached the employee's arrest or final expulsion from the company.
8. Flexibility
The era of management based solely on numbers and results is over. Experts in the formation of human resources increasingly point to the importance of the psychological aspect.
Not everyone likes to work under pressure or with a busy schedule, especially when it comes to boring office duties.
Here flexibility plays a pivotal role in building a cohesive and harmonious work team, as it helps to enhance employee satisfaction with their roles.
For example, employees should not be required to work from the office for long hours, and it is preferable to rely on remote work in some cases.
Also, the performance of a team member should not be judged from one project, so it is preferable to transfer him to another project or subject him to training courses.
9. Organizing meetings on a regular basis
Meetings are the only opportunity to get a closer look at the team's problems and challenges faced by the project, and therefore they must be fully exploited.
Avoid using authoritarianism to frame the discussion. Most experts recommend giving employees some space to air their problems. Emotional intelligence skills must also be used to influence the team and reassure it of the progress of the project, as most employees tend to trust a manager who has a great deal of charisma and prestige.
Also, you should not let the dialogue slip away from the meeting points table, otherwise you will find yourself forced to deal with unnecessary problems.
10. Provide incentives and rewards
Kind words and empty praise lose their effectiveness over time, so it is imperative to think of other ways to motivate the team.
Granting rewards and incentives is an effective way to enhance performance, as it guarantees an increase in the level of competitiveness and its positive impact on productivity. Incentives are not limited to material bonuses, but may be symbolic, such as organizing a small party or allowing employees to leave before the end of the working day.
You can also assign distinguished individuals free holidays, or at least send them on work missions abroad.
Conclusion
There is no magic formula or template for building a successful business team, but the above steps are sure to help you achieve maximum effectiveness and harmony.
Also, the work team will develop differently from one company to another, according to internal policies, working conditions and the professionalism of the human resources department. I hope that the article has touched significantly on the most important factors affecting the success of the work team, and do not hesitate to ask your questions in the comments section.
Also, if you are planning to launch a special project, I refer you to our professional guide on the steps to create a brand from scratch , which will enable you to avoid many mistakes that beginners make. Finally, I invite you to share the article with friends, which is the best way to express your support for the site team.