How do you get your employees to work together as a team?

This is a question that many managers are asking.The bottom line for managers is getting the results needed, and if employees would work as a team instead of as individuals, getting the results would be much easier.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to create a working environment where your employees see themselves as part of a team and you as a manager as the coach of the team. The traditional model of supervisor and subordinates does not create a willingness in employees to take ownership of their responsibility, and become motivated to put more than minimal effort into their work. The team building model, however, when effectively implemented, can produce better results, and increase participation and cooperation among the employees.

The manager has a essential part in creating a sense of team, and the approach taken is a critical factor for success. A successful model of team building can be seen in sports.Every sports team has a coach. The role of the coach is to strategically position the players, train and coach them, and motivate them towards becoming a champion team. There are many useful analogies between a sports and a work team.

The more managers consider themselves as a coach to their team, the more the team will respond positively to their leadership.

This article explores some of the team building skills of a sports coach, and how they can be successfully applied to a workplace supervisory position

Relationship Building

Managers need to be able to build a good relationship, not only with the team as a while, but also with individuals on the team. Relationship builds an essential team building block – that of trust. Trust is vitally important for encouraging cooperation and for motivation.

Availability

Managers need to be available to the team and approachable. They need to seen to be around, not shut away behind a closed door doing administration. Do your employees feel they can approach you about their concerns? Are you around enough to know and feel the pulse of the team.?

Set goals

Planning and setting goals is an important aspect of supervisory success. Does your team know what the short. mid term and long term goals are for the team? Are the goals realistic, and communicated well? Does the team have a sense of purpose and direction?

Promote participation

Managers need to be able to motivate team players to fully and willingly participate and buy in to the team purpose. It is the role of the manager to focus employees on the goals and purposes of the team, and facilitate everyone working together to get the needed results.

Share Information

Successful managers do not keep information to themselves. They keep people informed and provide them with all the information needed for them to take on a task or project.

Being a role model

Managers need to be a positive example of what they want to see in the team. That means walking the talk, having exemplary standards and consistent expectations of themselves as well as the team.

Celebrate Attempts

Coaches encourage their team to try new things and create an environment where people feel comfortable learning and trying new things. Progress and personal achievements are to be celebrated as people attempt challenging tasks.

Delegation

Coaches do not do everything themselves. Rather they view delegation as a means to develop their players, and enlarge their skills by positioning them strategically. They see delegation, not just as a means of dividing up the work, but as an opportunity of building self esteem and confidence and increasing skills

Be A Team Player

A coach doesn’t just manage the team but becomes part of the team. Don’t ask a team member to do something that you would be unwilling to do yourself.

Developing a coaching style of managing will create the team that will get the results managers want. Managers have the greatest influence on the job satisfaction on the employees they supervise. The role of supervisor means the authority to make decisions that directly impact the team. As a coach, developing team building skills will give you the power to influence and motivate your employees to participate as team players, and work as a team .

Author: Barbara WhiteArticle Source: EzineArticles.com

4 Comments

  1. TrishaCarter

    Great team building points – In your experience and knowledge of the research how valid / effective is the leader as coach model across cultures?

    Reply
    • admin

      In my experience it depends on several variables; the risks and challenges in the workplace, the different cultures which are in the mix and of course on individuals and their personal style of “managing” or their interpretation of coaching. We tend to use a model of co-development where the role of coach is first facilitated from outside and handed over, or ideally taken voluntarily by the manager. It is often the case that the role of coach is learnt but also the role of being coached in a team. If the boundaries, issues and objectives are not clearly set out for people they tend to have difficulty being coached by their managers – except for when things get really sticky, when they are then ready to be coached. The problem with management coaching – which I believe is where we should be aiming for – is that there is always the hierarchy card that can be played by managers who only pay lip service to the ideals of coaching a team, which effectively condemns all of the efforts to instill a coaching culture to the rubbish heap – back to square one. Some cultures will find issues with management coaching – typically, Indian cultures, where a manager’s role is often looked upon as one of domination and giving orders – ask anyone from a western-style culture who has worked with India. OK, here I am assuming the stereotypes, but the reality is not far from the mark. We often talk about “dosage” in terms of management coaching – using full-on coaching tools when appropriate and introducing the concept in a gradual and pertinent fashion – sometimes the “lessons learnt” model is applicable when deadlines are short and risks are high – the aim being to go from retrospection to anticipation…The cultural spectrum doesn’t always have to be so extreme, if we compare French / British – British / American – German / Italian – Spanish / French etc. there is a case for as much planning and contingency as between European and Asian culture in terms of management coaching. We often hear that language is a barrier to cultural harmony. I don’t believe this to be 100% true, it can form one of the barriers, but take the differences between American / British culture – well, the barrier isn’t there, but there are still issues to resolve – the same can surely be said for Australian / British cultures too ….

      Reply
  2. DISC test UK

    Each team member should know and fully understand the true meaning of teamwork. This is very important for them to achieve their goals as a team.

    Reply

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