Building a close-knit team is one of the top challenges leaders face. There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to how one builds such a team; however, there are some guidelines that will help.
1. Hire right. Building a close-knit team begins by hiring right in the first place.
You have to hire people who:
- — Want to be part of a team,
- — Don’t need to be in the limelight all the time,
- — Are interested in the greater good of the organization – sometimes that means above and beyond their own needs, and
- — Have not only the requisite skills to do their job well but the desire to learn from others and see how their piece can be part of the whole.
2. Clearly defined goals. After hiring right, having clearly defined goals and objectives for the individuals, the company and the team is critical. Often companies have goals for the organization and for the individuals in the company, but miss the mark by not having team goals. It’s also important that individuals on the team be evaluated on these goals, just as they are on their individual objectives.
These goals can be developed by the team or by leadership, but the team needs to buy into them and agree to them.
3. Frequent communication. Sounds simple, but open and frequent communication is the cornerstone of successful teams. What often breaks down teams is ineffective communication – people not sharing how they feel, not being forthright about their challenges or problems with other team members, etc. People talk to everyone except the person with whom they are having a challenge.
One thing I often recommend is to open team meetings with time for each person to vent and with the focus on constructive ideas, not on accusations this being a time for accusations, express their unhappiness, express their happiness, congratulate other team members, or whatever – a clearing and opportunity for discussion.
What isn’t addressed becomes buried, but it doesn’t go away.
4. Accountability for team members. Team members holding other team members accountable will go a long way toward building a successful team.
For example: If a team member commits to completing a task or getting information by a specific date, the rest of the team needs to hold this person accountable, especially if others on the team need the information to complete their tasks. If team members work toward holding one another accountable rather than management’s having to take on this role, the team jells better.
They don’t want to disappoint each other or be seen as ‘the guy no one can count on.’
5. Little things matter. Take the team to lunch or dinner. Have them develop a friendly competition amongst themselves (could be work-related or something fun like a contest for who makes the most delicious dessert), have them create a name for their team – silly, yes, but silly often works. You want them to do things together and see themselves as a unit, not a bunch of individual contributors who come together periodically.
Even good teams can get better.
And great teams can improve a company’s market share, customer satisfaction, tenure, profitability and bottom line.
Download our guide on Functioning Together: Characteristics of Extraordinary and Poor Teams and find out what you probably didn’t know. Click the link below.
