How To Measure Team Building

As we have seen, team building is an integral part of any successful organization. Whether it’s encouraging people to work together in one place or organizing group activities, investing time and resources into team building is very important to keep morale high and productivity up.

Team building can be done at every level within an organization- from introducing new employees to the company, to having casual get-togethers with colleagues, to hosting formal events like conferences or seminars. And while some of these things may seem trivial (having lunch with your coworkers is not!), making efforts to connect with others and fostering relationships is essential to staying productive and feeling connected to your job and department.

Measuring team effectiveness depends mostly on two factors: how well workers collaborate and coordinate with each other, and whether they trust and respect one another. If you don’t see both of these qualities in individuals, then chances are there isn’t much hope for effective teamwork. You also won’t find many signs of it!

Good communication and openness between teammates are just as important as working alone. Having conversations that contribute to meaningful discussions and collaborations will strengthen relations and keep motivation up.

On top of that, being able to laugh about yourself and your fellow team members oftentimes is needed to maintain healthy workplace dynamics. Just make sure those laughs are positive ones!

Final note: even if you feel like everything is fine and dandy already, instances of bad teamwork can still exist.

Establish a clear vision of the team

As mentioned before, establishing a strong foundation is an important part of building trust at work. What kind of mission or purpose does your team have? What are the goals of the company? What will make you all win together as a team?

This doesn’t just apply to the workplace but also to sports teams, military units, and even political parties. A large organization with no unified goal can quickly lose member loyalty and even influence.

So what happens when there is no consensus about what should be done next?

Members may choose different paths to reach their personal goals, which only strengthens internal competition. Or they may give up because they don’t see how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture.

Without this understanding, individuals can’t invest their energy in the group. They must feel like outsiders who are not connected to the rest of the team. This cuts down on motivation and productivity.

Make sure the team has the right skills

As mentioned earlier, not every team needs or wants formalized meetings and discussions every week. Some teams are naturally more cohesive than others, so you may not need to do this for them.

If your team is never really together, then they will never truly feel connected as a unit. This can be due to limited interactions in and out of work, different work styles, and/or personal issues getting in the way.

Too much formality with little fluidity won’t help bond people together nor will it create an environment where anyone can come without feeling uncomfortable.

So, make sure that even if there isn’t a weekly meeting, everyone is at least logged into Slack, email, and each other’s phones during the day!

This helps keep conversations going beyond just face-to-face time, and gives people additional opportunities to connect outside of work. It also allows people to easily stay informed about what others are doing since everything is accessible.

It creates an open atmosphere where people feel comfortable being themselves and communicating freely. These things promote trust which are both important qualities in any workplace.

Provide constructive criticism

As team members, we spend a lot of time talking about how hard our colleagues are working and praising them for their efforts. But what about when they make bad decisions or do things that negatively affect the work?

It’s easy to sit back and let it slide because you don’t want to be a “naysayer.” After all, someone else is doing his/her job so why should I get in their way?

But if you want to help your organization succeed, then you have to become more aware of these pitfalls. You have to use this knowledge to shine a light on poor decision-making and to help the person make better ones.

And while some people may perceive such comments as negative, I always frame my remarks with positive intentions. I aim to bring out the best in everyone I come into contact with, which includes giving feedback.

When I did my coaching training, one of the key points they made was to never criticize, praise, or put pressure on anyone unless you are willing to carry through with it. If you aren’t, then don’t waste your energy trying.

Instead, pick a time when no one is around and give yourself a sternly worded memo — something like, ‘My thoughts on [insert topic here].’ And from there, write an example of how you would like to see changes implemented.

Make sure the team communicates well

As mentioned before, one of the most important things that can affect teamwork is how effectively your team members talk to each other. If people do not sound like they are talking with confidence or if there are constant arguments, it will create an uncomfortable environment for the rest of the team.

This will eventually cause a breakdown in trust and consistency when working together. When this happens, you may find that some team members begin avoiding doing their jobs because they feel that others won’t be there to back them up.

There is no reason that everyone should not know what others are doing, but sometimes personal issues get in the way.

If you notice that this is happening, have a conversation about why this is occurring and see if anything comes out that needs to be addressed. It could be something as simple as someone missing an assignment or being late now and then which creates a feeling of distrust.

Hold them accountable

As mentioned before, team building is not about having fun with your colleagues every day. Its teams are not an opportunity for everyone to talk about how great their family is or to share stories of how they left work early because someone didn’t show up for meetings.

Team building should be interactive, but it needs to go beyond talking about things and looking people in the eye. It should include activities that require teamwork and communication. For example, taking a break together while discussing topics you would never normally discuss at the workplace, such as what movie you think will win the Best Picture Oscar this year, can boost group solidarity.

Holding events outside of work can also help promote team bonding. For instance, going out for drinks after business hours is a perfect way to facilitate conversations that may happen during the working week.

Meaningful relationships are built over time, so don’t expect to have big groups of friends immediately. But by investing in friendships consistently, you’ll find yourself with more allies than you had before.

Recognize and reward good teamwork

As a leader, you can do many things to boost team morale and productivity. Among them are encouraging people to put their individual goals aside for the greater good, supporting each other during times of challenge or loss, and creating an environment where everyone feels they can succeed.

Team building is about more than just having fun together. It’s about helping your colleagues grow as individuals while also developing trust and loyalty within the group.

When done well, it produces strong teams that work well together towards common goals.

Celebrate small wins

When was the last time you gave someone else a high-five for great job performance? Or cheered them with applause after they just got done solving a major problem?

Too often, we get focused on big achievements that leave people feeling discouraged or unappreciated. In our overachiever culture, we lose sight of what makes individuals feel good about themselves and their work.

So how do you measure team building?

By celebrating smaller milestones along the way. Acknowledge others’ efforts, reward effort with praise and acknowledgment, let go of perfectionism and have open conversations.

You can also create social events and activities to promote teamwork. This doesn’t mean giving everyone a gold medal but creating opportunities for collaboration and communication.

This is especially important in today’s technology-driven environments where there are always new tools, apps, and technologies being shared. Let people know it’s okay to ask questions and try something new.

Teamwork is a valuable asset to any organization and should be encouraged.

Seek out their opinions

As mentioned before, team building is not about having fun with your colleagues, it’s not an excuse for letting people do things that they could never normally be allowed to do (like a drink while working), and it’s not a way to pat yourself on the back because you hosted a potluck lunch or invited someone onto the project committee.

Team-building exercises should help your team work together more effectively. When done properly, these activities can strengthen group relationships, inspire collaboration, and promote trust.

Seek out the opinions of different members of your team. Ask questions and get input from everyone. This will create open conversations, collaborations, and understanding.

Team building is also a great way to boost employee morale. Most professionals enjoy spending time outside of the workplace, so organizing events that focus on friendship and communication are ideal ways to enhance spirits.

Your company can even hold a conference or event as part of its overall wellness program if it fits within policy.