Encouraging teamwork

Strong teams are at the very core of any successful business and often produce far greater results than lone geniuses.

Teamwork allows staff members to share workload, work towards a common goal and enhances overall communication. For teamwork to flourish, business owners must create the right conditions and environment. Here are five ways to improve teamwork in your workplace:

1. Value team contributions
Involve all team members in decision making, assign them with responsibility and be sure to reward all staff members for team efforts.

2. Give and receive feedback
Good teamwork involves a continuous flow of communication and information between team members. There should be a strong emphasis on positive feedback when someone performs well and criticism when necessary.

3. Set team-based goals
Set challenging yet achievable goals for your team to work towards. When the team reaches a goal, set a more challenging goal to encourage team members to learn from their previous successes. Be sure to recognise the team for their efforts and discuss what tactics were successful.

4. Facilitate idea-sharing
Encourage team members to bounce ideas off each other by brainstorming and discussing progress on current projects. Brainstorming ideas fosters creativity and can help with problem-solving.

5. Welcome suggestions
Be open and supportive of new ideas presented by team members. Work as a group to improve on ideas and eliminate ideas that will not work.