75% of employees see teamwork as essential. Yet, another study found that one in four employees don’t feel like they belong in a team. If you don’t feel like you belong in a team, would you be able to work well in it? Or, do you have (or currently have) an experience of not feeling like you belong in a team? It takes a collective effort to run a company, and managers must do more to help employees work collaboratively as a team.
So, this article is aimed at managers. We want as many managers to understand why teamwork is essential and how to make it happen.
Why Teamwork Is Essential
Teamwork isn’t only beneficial for the tangible outcomes it produces. It plays a crucial role in creating a positive work environment. When employees come together to form a well-functioning team and feel engaged, a brand can expect up to 21% increases in profit. Are you starting to think it might be worth focusing on?
But it’s not just about money, although most business managers will have that at the forefront of their minds. For employees, it’s about having a support network and actually enjoying their job. And studies show that happy employees will work 20% harder. Why? They have a sense of belonging and community.
How To Make It Happen
You want an environment where teamwork can flourish. Firstly, clear communication is essential. But apparently, one study found that 69% of managers feel uncomfortable communicating with their employees – go figure.
Encouraging open dialogue and feedback helps build a culture of trust and respect. Even if it’s giving employees the resources and support they need while setting realistic, shared goals work well. Managers don’t need constant communication with their employees to feel valued.
Communication is one aspect. Managers can also use the following methods to boost teamwork:
Company Events
Everyone loves a good company event, don’t they? Well, if there’s food and a drop of alcohol available, then the answer is yes. But it doesn’t have to involve food and alcohol (but this is always fun) – managers can organise corporate challenge events. Employees have no choice but to work as a team. You can’t really call drinking alcohol teamwork (unless you’re working together to finish the complimentary champagne).
Some 53% of employees think company events are excellent!
Winddown Fridays
Just another way to get employees excited about coming into work and being together – ‘Wind Down Fridays.’. Company lunches and relaxed Fridays are so good for morale. Everything seems less serious if you know you’re having a wind down Friday. It’s a way of dedicating time at the end of the week for team members to relax, socialise, and reflect on the week’s achievements together. Call it an informal gathering that works.
Buddy Systems
If managers want to make their employees feel part of the team, give them a buddy. Having someone to constantly go to is so effective at building team morale and teamwork. If you’ve ever been dumped in a new role with no buddy system, you’ll know how overwhelming and not part of a team you can feel.
Pairing employees is what we’d call essential. This system can accelerate building trust and camaraderie among team members. Just make sure you’re picking employees who want a buddy.
What Will Happen Without Teamwork
An organisation can crumble without effective teamwork. That might have been dramatic, but it can definitely lose out on profits. Studies prove it.
Without teamwork, silos can develop. There’s a lack of vision and general communication, which, if nothing else, just makes an office boring. Hello, high employee turnover rates!
More than employees simply handing a notice on your desk every month, there’s the chance of errors, duplicated efforts, and inconsistencies in output.
The competitive atmosphere that often emerges without teamwork can also get in the way of productivity. Instead of working together towards a common goal, employees can prioritise personal achievements or departmental objectives.
Moreover, the lack of teamwork can significantly impact employee morale and engagement. When individuals do not feel part of a team, their commitment to their work and the organisation can wane. This disengagement can lead to higher turnover rates, as employees may seek more collaborative and supportive work environments elsewhere.
Teamwork is essential and critical. Teamwork makes for dreamwork, as the saying goes. And it’s true. If you put two companies side by side, one with great company culture and teamwork and the other without, you can guess which one will be performing better.
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