A teamwork can only be successful if all the members are ready to cooperate, learn from each other and take responsibility for their own job role as well as ultimate team objective. Employee or a job aspirant should know the importance of teamwork because it will help in interview, workplace and career objectives. Given the importance of teamwork, there should be proper strategy and practice for learning teamwork.
There are certain tips for how to improve teamwork skills that help in career and workplace.
Interactive and productive workplace
Creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable with you around and easily approachable is crucial for successful teamwork. A project requires team involvement with specific objectives and deliverables.
A person should always be active and interactive at the workplace. Be a team member and push for team’s productivity.
Requirements for working on a project
- A creative project that requires all the members’ participation needs a separate room or corner for discussion and communication.
- Activity should not disturb other sections of the workspace
- Ensure all the required tools such as projector, stationery, whiteboard, etc. for smooth working
- Take voluntary initiative for arranging team meetings and suggest HR to place a standee in a common area with goals of the project.
Identify Goals and KPIs
Key Performance Indicator is one of the essential parameters for how to improve teamwork skills for successful team performance. KPI or Goals is the best way to ensure accountability amongst individual team members. To ensure better performance, goals should be clear, achievable, and adequately defined.
Understand your KPI and work towards achieving them in time. Ask team members if they need any support and assistance. Senior management observes all activities in KPI evaluation and a supportive, dedicated project will certainly give the employee an edge.
But how do companies identify goals and assign KPIs to individual employees? The HR team arranges a brainstorming session to understand expertise and assign KPI accordingly.
Brainstorming session is very effective, if you want to improve teamwork spirit, communication skills and confidence for speaking in front of the team. Team members give ideas as per their expertise and experience, this will enhance the knowledge, give some unique ideas and skill awareness of fellow employees.
Be Available and approachable
Work on your communication skills. This is the best way to improve teamwork. In a group project, you are a part of the team and you need to interact with fellow members and senior management throughout the project.
To do so, an employee needs to be open for discussion, a better listener of guidelines from senior managers and always available. Management prefer employees who are easily reachable and initiative takers.
Available and approachable team members are an asset for teamwork and management always trusts them with crucial projects.
Optimum Utilization of the opportunities
Teamwork should be seen as an opportunity to showcase one’s soft skills and value addition to the company. Teamwork develops several soft skills which are great for a successful career ahead.
HR and recruiters prefer candidates who show enthusiasm for group meetings, projects and active participation. A job applicant should mention this in their resume and must be visible in face-to-face interviews.
At the workplace, grab the opportunity of teamwork. Senior management observes employees through projects, group work and builds a team for their company. If the employee will show work ethics, leadership qualities and communication skills, he/she will be in good books of management. Active participation and optimum utilization of opportunities given by management reflects in the time of increment and incentives.
Recognize work of Fellow members
Everybody loves recognition for their hard work. As an employee or team member, learn to appreciate what other team members are doing. Always ask for feedback about your work and give constructive feedback politely if fellow members are comfortable with it.
This feedback and appreciation of each-other shows team spirit and makes the office environment friendly and enjoyable. It boosts morale of the fellow members and the employee.
If you are comfortable enough with team members, you can also schedule meetings to discuss the KPIs and how to move forward together for achieving project goals within time and budget
Creativity
Stay open to creative and innovative ideas for the project. Always use creativity and recognize other team member’s creative work. For successful teamwork, the employee should always encourage brainstorming sessions and innovative thinking.
Creative ideas come best when the mind is free and does not have lots of restrictions. It is essential to use a creative brain in team-based activity and respect fellow team members’ creative work.
Best ideas come out of brainstorming sessions. Accept and recognize the diverse skill-set of fellow members. Listen to their ideas and contribute yours, for the project.
Meeting out of the workplace
Though the office is the perfect place for team meetings and discussions, arranging a team meeting outside for a change is always welcome. Meet in a hotel or resort over hi-tea and lunch and brainstorm strategies for the project.
Meeting outside gives ample opportunity to gel up with fellow workers over lunch, leisure time, etc. Such outside meetings improve communication, understanding of team members, which will help in project execution.
Some of the tips for outside team meeting:
- First, arrange a coffee shop or food joint with arrangements for lunch or snacks.
- Start meeting with casual chit-chat. Know your co-workers.
- After warm-up, discuss the project and listen each-other’s points, perspectives and plan further courses.
- If it works out productive, suggest fellow employees to meet on weekends at some common place.
Conclusion
It is pretty evident that teamwork is vital for an employee’s success and proper execution of projects. There should be desire and enthusiasm for working in a team. Employees work better as a team if the management is organized and disciplined. Employers observe each and every employee for teamwork abilities during projects and so, employees should take teamwork seriously if they want to prosper in their career.
Follow the mentioned guidelines for how to improve teamwork skills and ensure a happy workplace and successful career.
