5 ideas for building a thriving team

Team leaders have the task of bringing people together to achieve common goals and objectives. For many managers, leading a team offers the first chance to test out their people skills.

Building a successful team isn’t just about giving orders; there are subtle techniques you can use to motivate and lead.

1. Focus on creative ice breaking and induction

New employees often take a while to find their feet. The quicker you can embed someone in a team, the more comfortable they will be, and the faster they’ll settle in. That’s great news for them, and their workmates; it also helps to maintain team productivity.

Inductions don’t have to be exclusively based on guided tours and training. A buddy system can give the employee a sounding board, while personal introductions to the department can make informal conversation much easier.

2. Be clear about rules and expectations

In a team, everyone needs to know the rules of the game. By being clear about your expectations, you can establish boundaries in a proactive way. This can be a formal goal-setting exercise, or it can simply be an up-front chat about what is and isn’t expected of someone. Once each team member understands the limits, you’ll be in a better position to recognise their achievements and measure them against the rules you set.

Having rules is a sensitive exercise; it doesn’t mean creating excessive ‘do’s and don’ts’. It simply means that your team knows where they stand. You could have a rule that the manager brings ice cream on Fridays, or every Tuesday is dress-down day. It doesn’t have to be a negative exercise.

3. Plan team building activities

Team building is all about encouraging team members to build bridges and find common ground, which is essential in office environments where many people have not interacted socially. Typically, the business will organise an activity for everyone to go on, so they can get to know each other outside the office and break through the confines of structured work.

Companies sometimes choose outdoors activities to bond their teams, but weigh up personalities before you do this. Paintballing and fell walking aren’t everyone’s ideas of a good time. Yoga, cycling and chess can be equally effective. While group holidays are fun, not everyone has the budget; a weekly buffet lunch or bake-off is a great place to start.

In return, you get an invigorated, connected workforce who are more keen to communicate and problem-solve.

4. Listen and understand to motivate

When we think about teams, we think about people working in groups, but this mentality can only get a team leader so far. The art of leading a team is recognising people for who they are, and recognising their uniqueness and individuality. Inevitably, teams will include people who don’t get on.

Every team has a mixture of introverts, strong leaders, capable people and those who are less focused. It’s not your job to treat them all the same way; it’s your job to understand what makes them tick. From the seating arrangement to the job role itself, help each person to interact productively.

5. Practice what you preach

If you expect your team to hit their KPIs, make sure you hit yours. If you don’t like workplace gossip, never tell a team member a secret they can’t keep. And if you choose to speak about your personal life, be respectful of others’ sensitivities.

Leadership is about listening to feedback and earning respect through your own integrity. If you understand your team, and treat them as you expect to be treated, you have all the components of a winning team formula.

Your success stories

How did you gel your team? Do you have any tips for our readers? Let us know in the comments, or via our Twitter page.