Team Building Qualities

As we know, team building is an integral part of any successful workplace. It can be done at many levels- from bringing together people with different specialties to having large group discussions or activities.

At its most basic level, team building helps us connect with others and develop relationships. This is definitely a worthy goal!

But beyond that, it teaches us about how groups work and how to motivate each other. These are both essential skills for anyone in leadership positions, whether you’re a manager, coach, teacher, etc.

Team building can also help promote positive teamwork by creating shared values and understanding of roles and responsibilities. When used correctly, it creates a sense of trust and unity which makes achieving goals easier.

This article will talk more about some of the underutilized traits of effective teams and ways to implement them within your own organization.

Making people feel important

A team that builds strong relationships is always looking to include new members or recruits. They create an environment where individuals feel appreciated and needed, which creates a supportive atmosphere.

Team building comes down to creating trust and understanding that someone else will do their part as promised. This helps motivate others to keep commitments and work towards a common goal.

At its most basic level, team building encourages teamwork by having participants work together in unison. More advanced types of team-building exercises promote trust, communication, and leadership skills. All of these qualities are integral parts of effective teams.

When done properly, team building can have significant benefits for groups. For example, it may help bring about positive changes suchas reducing workplace conflictor promoting organizational loyalty.

Provide structure

A strong team member is someone who knows what they should be doing, how to do it, and when to do it. They know their responsibilities and fulfill them properly.

Team members can get distracted by all sorts of things, which are often fun. Fun distractions may not be bad, but there is a limit to how much time you need to invest in them before it becomes too much.

It takes hard work to develop a team that stays together. You have to recognize those efforts when you see them.

A good leader will make sure that everyone feels like they are important to the success of the company. People look forward to coming to work because they feel valued.

Structured teams usually start with people being invited to join the organization, then working relationships form from there. Over time, these relationships become stronger, leading to more trust and loyalty.

Develop your team members

As mentioned earlier, one of the most important things that can help solidify teamwork is developing each individual’s skill set. This includes educating them outside of work regarding subjects they are passionate about so that when you get back to work they can apply what they know.

For example, if someone in your team is very skilled at marketing then have them teach others about it through blogs, courses or whatever else they find interesting. By having different people share their knowledge, everyone will feel more confident in their job and thus contribute more meaningfully.

This also applies to those who may be less experienced in certain areas. There are many ways to bring out the best in everyone’s performance which include teaching others and helping them learn.

Another way to develop individuals is by asking questions and getting answers. If someone reports back saying something took longer than expected, ask why. What made them stop? Was there too much competition? Did they run into personal issues while trying to complete their task?

By inquiring into these reasons, you will not only determine whether or not they were successful, but you will also gain some valuable information about them as a person.

Be consistent

Consistency is one of the most important qualities in being a team member or leader. If you show up at all times to work with no presence, people will notice and it won’t set well with those around you.

If a colleague notices that you don’t seem to care about your job, they will probably not invest their energy into doing theirs as passionately. And when they don’t feel passionate about what they are doing, then things start to break down.

A lot of times, people have a hard time motivating themselves so if you aren’t able to motivate yourself to do your part, nothing much will get done.

Consistency is also needed when you go above and beyond for others. People need to know whether or not to expect help from you because they can count on you being there.

It creates trust and confidence in coworkers and in superiors who know they will be supported even after things may become difficult.

Communicate well

As mentioned earlier, team building is not just about having fun together, it’s also about communicating with each other. You will spend a lot of time working together so you need to be talking very effectively.

You want your colleagues to feel that they can come to you for help or advice at any time, and you don’t want them to feel that you are keeping things from them.

It’s important they know who their friends are in the company, and what qualities they have as people. This could be through meetings, conversations or observations, but it should always be done with respect and without being judgemental.

The same goes for your superiors- make sure they get the right picture of how you think and work. If there are ever issues, keep them private unless and until you have to bring them to someone else’s attention.

That way no one gets hurt and everyone knows where they stand.

Enforce discipline

As mentioned before, one of the key team building qualities is enforcing discipline. This can be done in several ways- through deadlines, commitments, or even rewards/punishments for good behavior.

As leader, you can create rules or norms that help keep your team organized and on track. For example, if someone is needed to do some specific work, they must have their permission first before starting. If people are working together on something, they should check in with each other as well to see what needs doing next.

By having clear roles and responsibilities, you give individuals an idea of how things fit into place and what they need to complete. This also helps them know where to look for resources and information since everything is clearly labeled.

Enforcing discipline comes in very handy when there are changes made, especially at higher levels. Since everyone knows their job, no one gets left behind!

Teamwork takes time to develop so don’t get impatient if nothing seems to change immediately. Keep giving these relationships time and it will grow.

Be a good listener

As mentioned before, your team can’t perform its job if it doesn’t have enough communication. You will spend a lot of time in silence, so make sure you are listening to what others have to say. Ask questions and really pay attention to their answers!

By being a good listener, you show that you care about the conversations happening around you. Your colleagues will feel more comfortable sharing everything they think and do because they know that you won’t run away or talk over them.

On the other hand, when someone comes to you with an idea or question, take the time to consider how you could be part of the solution too. Don’t just tell them “no”, add value by offering alternatives or suggestions.

Being a good listener also means acknowledging things non-verbally – such as nodding for agreement, shaking hands after meeting, etc. These small gestures send a much stronger message than saying nothing or talking very little.

Build trust

As mentioned earlier, team building is not about having fun with your colleagues, it is not an event to connect with others, and it is definitely not a way to make friends. Teambuilding is actually designed to strengthen relationships and create solidarity among members of your organization.

That sounds great in theory, but in practice it can be tricky. Teambuilding events can sometimes feel like a circus or luau where everyone is drinking and dancing more than anything else.

When participants are spending time together outside of work, that can easily lead to gossip or even rumors. If people do not agree on something, there may be conflict. And when there is a lot of stress, cooperation becomes harder.

So how can you build trust? First, make sure the group comes from the right place and has legitimate reasons for attending the event. Make it clear what the goal of the event is, and be honest about whether the attendees will achieve that goal.

Second, give consent clearly and consistently. It should be asked at every stage of the event if anyone does not want to participate, and permission must be given before participation.

Third, keep commitments! When someone says they will meet for lunch after the event, show up. That is part of being trustworthy. Even better, arrive early so you do not have to wait for them.

Fourth, keep promises! Say goodbye properly after the event, and hold off sharing what happened until later.