Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
In today’s world, soft skills and interpersonal connections are becoming more valued than ever. While in the past employers and managers have primarily determined the success of employees based on their output or qualifications, now the importance of culture and bonds are becoming key factors.
Teams within a business are complex entities and can be tricky to get right. Simply placing people together with similar qualifications and skills is not enough to produce a thriving team. Instead, it’s vital that other soft skills and emotional elements are taken into account.
Workers need to feel valued and know that their opinions matter, alongside receiving recognition for their hard work. In this article, we look at how managers or business leaders can build a successful, thriving and invested team.
Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities
The key to effective collaboration in any team is having clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Whether they’re set for each individual person or put on a rota, it’s important that everyone knows exactly what’s expected of them from the start.
This can help to prevent any overlap between team members, as it should be clear who is working on which task and when. It can also prevent tasks from being overlooked, where one person might assume someone else will be working on them, potentially causing issues long-term.
Encourage Work-Life Balance
Simply putting in long hours of work often doesn’t equate to a thriving team. In fact, it often leads to exhausted and burnt-out employees. It’s crucial that employers treat workers as assets and take care of their wellbeing in order to have a productive workforce.
People that view screens for nine hours or more each day are far more likely to experience negative health effects, such as painful cramping, eye strain and back pain. As a result, it’s important to encourage workers to take regular breaks from their screens in order to stay healthy.
Offer Training and Development Opportunities
Employees that have opportunities for growth in their roles may be more likely to stay in a role longer than their counterparts, helping to reduce feelings of boredom while furthering their career in the process. Providing developmental opportunities can also make employees feel valued in a business, motivating them to produce high-quality work.
Opportunities for growth can come in many forms. Identifying the right ones for your team will also mean being prepared to tailor needs for each individual, as where some struggle, others may thrive. Although as a general rule, most teams could benefit from some training on soft skills such as communication and collaboration.
In order to build a successful team within any business, one of the most important aspects is employee satisfaction. Workers that are happy in their roles will be incredibly valuable assets, so investing in their wellbeing will soon pay for itself. Whether it’s via training or simply by implementing new policies, every small change can put you one step closer to forming your dream team.
