How To Build Up Teamwork

Team work is an important part of any successful organization, whether it’s in-house or external. Teams come in all shapes and sizes, and there are many different types. Some are more formal, with clear roles and responsibilities, while others are not. No matter what kind of team you’re working on, though, one thing always remain the same – teamwork is never easy, but it will pay off in the end.

Here at The Office Lounge, we believe that teamwork is one of the most powerful tools anyone can use in life. When used properly, it creates momentum that cannot be stopped!

Teamwork is also a way to inspire people, give them the sense that they are worthy of respect and appreciation, and create trust where before there was none. All of these things make for happier employees, which usually means happier teams.

This article will talk about some ways to develop teamwork within your own group, as well as outside groups. It will discuss how to motivate individuals on a team, how to manage relationships, and even how to hold meetings. There will even be tips and tricks for designing effective teamwork systems.

We hope this article inspires you to try out some new team building strategies, or gives you inspiration to do so already.

Make eye contact

Making direct eye contact with someone is a way to show them that you are paying attention to what they say, and it gives them a sense of confidence that you agree with them. It also shows respect for their presence and self-confidence as people.

When you look away from someone, you can feel like you have been ignored or overlooked. This may be because you are not important enough to be seen, or because you do not matter to those around you.

By looking directly at someone, you tell them that you recognize who they are and how they fit into the group. They will know you care about them, and maybe even learn something about yourself by doing this.

Making eye contact helps promote team work and communication, and can help create trust between individuals.

Let them elaborate

As mentioned before, one of the biggest hindrances in team collaboration is when someone else needs something done and you don’t do it. It can be referring to other people working on an assignment or project, asking another person for help, or just wanting to collaborate but being too busy to do so.

If you find that your colleagues are constantly waiting for you to fulfill your responsibilities first, then they will start this responsibility themselves. This will eventually lead to a downfall of trust and respect as well as productivity, and even cause conflict if there's not enough resources or time to complete what has been assigned.

It is important to let others take control of their workload and focus, only then will they feel like they can contribute effectively. By letting them handle these things for themselves, they'll begin to appreciate your efforts more and work with you more willingly.

General tip: If someone seems distracted or overwhelmed, offer to do some of their job for them. Or ask whether there is anything you can do to help them get through their tasks faster.

Ask more questions

A lot of times, people get so focused on giving their answers that they forget to listen to what others are saying. Questioning other people can be hard because some may feel judged or like they have to do too much talking, but it is important for teamwork.

Asking good questions helps you learn about someone, what makes them succeed, and how they accomplish things. It also proves that you are interested in getting to know them and helping them grow.

Ask open-ended questions to determine if someone is aware of their weaknesses and whether they are willing to address them. This could mean asking about their job title, whether there is anything else they would like to do, or ask why they think they were not promoted even though they asked to be.

Questions with yes/no answers cannot tell you everything about someone’s personality. Using questions instead will help you understand who they are as a person.

Follow up after they’ve finished

The second way to build teamwork is by doing something different together. For example, if two people meet for the first time in the cafeteria, then one person could go have lunch next door while the other goes across the street to another restaurant.

Or maybe one person can walk down an empty corridor outside while the other stays inside to talk business.

By splitting up like this, it creates some new opportunities to connect later when everyone has gathered again.

This is how most working relationships start – you spend time alone with someone, then get connected through separate activities.

If you want to keep these connections going, make sure you don't stop talking to each other until you've re-connected as a team.

Make it a goal to compliment your team on a daily basis

As mentioned earlier, being able to recognize good work done by others is an excellent way to build teamwork. When you are able to appreciate someone’s efforts, you give them praise which encourages them to keep doing great things.

At the same time, you can also find fault with what needs improvement or something that could be changed. By having these conversations, you not only motivate those around you, but you also help them improve their own performance.

When everyone is aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, cooperation becomes much easier. You will see people giving more effort in the workplace because they know there is a chance they will get picked up on if they drop off for a few days.

It also creates a feeling of trust as colleagues believe that one another will hold them accountable. This helps when talks about projects break down due to lack of communication or no one agreeing on anything.

Making comments such as “I have never seen him do this before” or “He always does his job well” can inspire others to reach new heights.

Be friendly and outgoing

As mentioned before, being friendly and open-minded is an important part of team building. When things get tough, you will know who to turn to for help. Your colleagues or teammates can be your biggest supporters when you are struggling to find motivation.

They may even offer their own ideas and suggestions to improve your performance or the work environment at your organization.

Teamwork takes time to develop so don’t expect it to happen immediately. But if you keep working on it, I believe you’ll see some results in your life. And that’s what matters most.

Hopefully you have already started to build small groups within your department, and now you need to think about how to motivate and inspire them.

Communicate well

As mentioned before, team members will not feel comfortable working with each other if you do not communicate effectively. If there is something that one person needs from another, ask about it directly and make sure your conversation is clear.

Asking questions such as “What are our goals for this week?” or “How can I help you meet those goals?” will go a long way towards ensuring that teamwork happens naturally. Keep conversations focused and on track by asking appropriate questions and making them relevant.

When things get a little too personal, stop and re-focus! Sometimes emotions arise when people work together, and being able to talk about what you're feeling in a safe environment makes for happier relationships overall.

Avoid gossip unless you want to see separation or termination of employment. Also, be careful how much information you share through chat apps and software; sometimes they have recorders.

Seek their opinions

As mentioned before, your colleagues can be a powerful source of motivation and inspiration. They may know you well, which helps them understand how you work and what types of leadership you need from others.

By asking for input and feedback, you show that you are interested in their ideas and they will feel more motivated to contribute towards a common goal.

Surprisingly, giving rewards doesn’t always boost teamwork! A study found that when people worked together, no one got a bigger pay raise than anyone else.

Instead, researchers suggest offering honest praise to encourage cooperation. People who have done good work should be praised for it, not just for getting a reward or two.

You could say something like, “I see so much potential in our group collaboration process,” or, "Your project proposal really inspired me," etc.

It's also important to acknowledge mistakes honestly — don't sugarcoat it, but instead describe what was learned from the mistake. For example, "The team didn’t agree on anything at all during our last meeting, so I couldn’t get any idea where everyone stood. That made coming up with solutions very difficult."

Another way to increase teamwork is by encouraging conversations about things that matter to each person. Create opportunities for collaborations outside of the workplace, such as taking part in an athletic club or organizing a trip outside the city.