NFIB

Your Staff May Be Highly Talented, But Are Members Working As a Team?
08/ 14/ 2002

by Jeffrey Moses

If the feeling of teamwork is lacking throughout your company, the owner or management should consider the following approaches to establishing a sense of camaraderie:

1. Create a clearly defined goal that can serve as a rallying point for employees.

A dynamic team needs tangible but visionary goals to work toward. Outline specific steps the company will undertake to achieve the goals.

2. Meet regularly.

The creation of a team feeling is best accomplished through a mix of formal, regular meetings during working hours that focus on company goals, and informal get-togethers during off hours that build interpersonal relationships.

3. Highlight successes.

Each success is a step toward the company's ultimate goal, and should be recognized as such. This can be accomplished through Employee of the Month programs, newsletter recognition, special parking privileges, etc. Make sure all employees are recognized in some way so everyone feels part of the team.

While bonuses and other financial rewards promote individual incentives, they may not encourage the feeling of group unity. An exception is a bonus given to all team members based on meeting a certain goal.

4. Keep an eye on internal politics or individual agendas among employees.

It's critical for management to defuse any underlying hostility, resentment, feuding or undue competition between employees. These can eat up good feelings among even the most dedicated team players--and may ultimately show up in reduced company revenue and profitability.

5. Hire team players.

If you want to develop camaraderie among employees, say so during the interview process. Try to determine which new hires will be the most likely to become team oriented, and make that attribute an important factor in the hiring decision.

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