Creating and Maintaining an Effective Team

A well-oiled machine requires parts that are able to move together to perform a particular task. The same concept applies when it comes to looking for and maintaining an effective team—they need to be able to work together to achieve a common goal. According to The Balance, one of the greatest challenges of building a good team is getting different, often clashing personalities, to work together. But this particular challenge can also be used to a business’s advantage. Different personalities and points of view can be helpful in keeping your ideas diverse and fresh. Apart from encouraging varying outlooks, here’s how you can create and maintain an effective team:

Have a thorough selection process

Entrepreneur points out that a strict hiring process has greater long-term benefits as it allows you to make sure the team members you choose have the right set of skills and they can get along with your existing company culture. Hiring the right people is crucial no matter the industry. In the legal industry, Special Counsel notes how the right hire will save a law firm a considerable amount of time. The site also recommends that those looking to hire should always be on the lookout for the very best specialists in the industry. Getting to know your candidates also shows them how important the right people are for you.

Don’t pit your team members against each other

Although employees are evaluated according to their individual accomplishments, they still need to understand the importance of working together. They need to see that to achieve your business goals they need to be able to work together as a team. Discover each team member’s strengths and look for ways to bring them together in the best possible way. Don’t play favorites and try your best to show each member how much you appreciate the contributions they bring to the team.

Help with goal setting

In our post ‘Should Managers Set Goals for Employees’, it is stated that managers should be in charge of guiding their employees to the right objectives. When you work with your team to set goals, you hear them voice out what they can and cannot do, including how fast or slow they will be able to deliver the task. If you have to set goals for your employees, make sure you set achievable goals. Give them the right tools, allow them enough time, and praise and reward them when they do achieve their goals.

Establish ground rules and foster teamwork

Setting team values and rules is important so your team has a proper structure and your members understand the importance of respecting each other. In order to create and maintain an effective small business team, always show your team the big picture so they can see their significance in achieving the goals you established with them. Huffpost explains that team building is one of your most important responsibilities as a manager, apart from establishing team values.

Reward good teamwork

Employees can sense when you genuinely appreciate their efforts so don’t turn a blind eye when they do achieve the goals you’ve set with them. Regularly update them when their teamwork paid off as well—they need to understand that accomplishing the goal as a team is one of the main reasons that helped them succeed.