Teamwork Invaluable to Startup Success: 3 Quick Tips for Building a Winning Team

Something I’ve learned since launching my company is the importance of a cohesive team, and I have consistently focused on helping members of my staff to learn to work together toward a common goal.

Here's how you can take steps to positively influence effective teamwork and loyalty.

Open the lines of communication

It is not only important for employees to feel that they can speak frankly with each other, but also with their leader. The best way of accomplishing this is to work on communication strategies during staff meetings and employee training sessions. By stressing the importance of speaking openly from the very beginning, a supervisor can successfully foster a cultural environment of communication among all workers

Ask employees for constructive criticism

One of the most effective ways for a supervisor to encourage their employees to communicate is for them to ask for constructive criticism concerning their performance as a manager. While doing so will always improve relationships between supervisors and their workers, it will also help employees to understand that their opinions will not be shot down automatically should they choose to share them. While it is never easy for any manager to hear their employees bring up points that they do not like about them, asking for constructive criticism on a regular basis can do a lot to improve communication. 

Offer discernible expectations

It is very important for all supervisors to give their employees clear instructions and it is only reasonable to expect workers to perform up to the standards that have been set for them. With this in mind, a competent manager will always help employees to understand exactly what is expected of them.

3 Quick Tips for Creating a Winning Team

1: Organizing team sporting events

As an avid sports fan, there are many aspects of team sports that one can use for team-building purposes. Employee teams, in many ways, work together just like athletes. Every employee has an important role that they serve, and when they do not take their responsibilities seriously, other team members can suffer as a result. With this in mind, it is often a good idea to schedule team-building activities that revolve around sports. When a manager does this regularly, it often helps employees to better understand the importance of working together. In addition, playing a team sport once a month or so can serve as a great stress reliever and encourage employees to get to know one another on a personal level. In most cases, a person is more likely to support a coworker who is also a friend.

2: Encouraging self-evaluation

One of the best ways of fostering a culture of excellence among one’s employees is to encourage them to engage in frequent self-reflection. In many cases, employees can become so focused on pleasing their supervisors or avoiding reprimand that they overlook their own fulfillment. When a person is inspired to succeed for their own merit, they will usually work with a greater sense of enthusiasm. With this in mind, all managers should ask their employees to evaluate their own performance occasionally.

3: Convincing employees to ask questions

In order to ensure that your employees understand the task at hand, it is always a good idea to encourage them to ask questions. The truth is that many workers are afraid to ask for further instruction because they do not want to admit that they do not understand what is required of them. By creating a safe zone where employees can ask anything, you can make sure that each team member is on the right path.