Professionals spend more time at work with their team than they spend awake and not working. Because of this, it’s vitally important to the environment of your team that everyoneget along. Discord makes everyone miserable, so the people on your team need to learn how to communicate effectively so they feel comfortable asking question and promoting new ideas for company improvement. Here are several ways for employees to build stronger bonds in the workplace.
Work and Talk
Despite the long hours professionals put into their work, most people don’t have time to connect with their fellow coworkers. Many employees may feel tense or scrutinized throughout the day. Encourage the display of friendly behaviours at the workplace, and avoid the need to punish those who engage in small talk, as long as it doesn’t distract too much from work. Ideally, you want to see your employees talk and show their openness to communicate and work with others.
The more comfortable they are around each other, the better the team is able to function as a whole, and the more productive it is for the business.
Relieve Tensions
No amount of group team building activities will be beneficial if your employees don’t value their coworkers and respect them as people. Keep your eyes open for disagreements. If some of your employees aren’t getting along, try to resolve the issue, but don’t force them to work together despite their disagreements. Preventing internal conflicts within the company is the first step to promoting collaboration and teamwork.
Connect on Social Media
Encourage your team to connect with one another on social media. Most businesses have their own websites or local profiles on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Provide incentives for employees signing up and engaging on the company profile. Use these platforms to help your employees stay updated about upcoming events.
LinkedIn is one of the main social networks for professionals where employers can view many professional resumes and profiles. Coworkers who are working on projects together are able to communicate easily through the messaging system. LinkedIn also has local and national groups for all types of businesspeople to join.
Assign Group Tasks
Assign group tasks in addition to individual tasks. Make sure each employee has a specific task or set of tasks they are in charge of. This will help you to know if someone doesn’t do their part of the work. Make sure the group project requires collaboration so those in the group learn how to work together to promote teamwork.
Participate in Team-Building Activities
Team-building activities show that many tasks are best completed in teams. The most effective results are gained with the help of several employees and not just one. Host games and activities that require the use of skills in problem-solving, time management and strategic thinking. In a business, all of the employees are connected to each other. These activities prove that one person's performance affects the whole company's performance.
Claire Stewart is a freelance writer and blogger focused on writing about health, travel, and business among other topics. She graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelors in Women’s Studies and currently lives in Seattle with her goldfish, Merlin.