5 Keys To Achieve Team Cohesion

Good leaders understand how valuable high performance teams are. Building, motivating and fostering team cohesion remains one of the most important and difficult tasks they face. But what makes it so challenging?

First, the teams are made up of people with different desires, knowledge and experience levels. It would be naive to think that just because they work together in a team is a natural fit.

Secondly, it cannot be assumed that they all had positive experiences working in diverse teams. What may seem like a good fit on paper with a group of talented people does not always amount to a successful collaboration.

Fortunately, it is possible to create and be part of cohesive teams if leaders are willing to focus on the right aspects.

5 Keys To Achieve Team Cohesion

1) Create A Common Purpose And Objective

Align employees with a common purpose or objective. The more defined the purpose, the more successful the collaboration. 

A successful culture is almost always built around shared values and goals because they provide guidance for individual and team actions.

2) Recognition And Celebrate Your Achievements

It is very important to recognize each person’s strengths and empower them to contribute in the best possible way to the team. All will bring their own unique passion, experience and knowledge. It is up to the leader to recognize, encourage and reinforce strengths and give people the confidence that they can succeed.

Cohesive teams take the time to celebrate small victories towards achieving goals. Doing so creates a sense of success as the team moves towards shared goals.

How can people be expected to remain motivated if they are not praised for the good work they are doing?

3) Promote Open Communication

Communication builds trust. Therefore, establishing a culture of transparency where communication is valued should be considered a priority.

The collaborators value active listening on the best way to achieve a joint mission. They want to understand the context in which they do their job instead of blindly following the instructions. The lack of precise, open and frequent communication leads to frustration and a sense of disconnection from peers and objectives.

Fluid communication can improve productivity and morale. The more information the less confusion and the more likely they are trained to perform their tasks with more confidence.

4) Constructive Feedback

Fundamental for the development of collaborators and the team, as well as to perform tasks effectively.

Proper feedback can make the difference between a team that hides mistakes and a team that sees them as opportunities.

A culture of celebration and feedback on progress is extremely powerful and contributes to the sense of control, rather than generating anxiety when done infrequently.

5) Take Advantage Of Downtime

Employees and teams must work hard to achieve common goals, but too often they work to the point of exhaustion, especially in the current employment landscape.

For this reason, you cannot pretend to be a leader or a company that expects employees to be available 24/7, since the result will be higher levels of stress and lower levels of productivity.

Therefore, it is important to encourage employees to take breaks during their workday. For example, organize a breakfast where the team can get to know each other better outside the work environment. Social outings or volunteering can help the team create personal ties.

Cohesive teams need leadership that creates and communicates a sense of common purpose, empowers people to achieve goals instead of dictating actions, celebrate success and good work and encourages frequent and open communication.

In masvoz we carry out periodic activities both inside and outside our offices with the aim of promoting the values of collaboration, empathy, respect, as well as personal and professional growth to achieve a cohesive team.