Having an efficient team that works well together is a hugely valuable asset to any company. But it can be difficult to encourage teamwork from your staff or know how to improve it in the office. It’s also tough to know the boundary between teamwork and staff socialising if you’re not constantly monitoring your staff. However, it’s important that you encourage teamwork as it can be a vital part in the growth of your company. Here are some ways that you can help to encourage teamwork between your staff.
Communication
An important part of making sure you instil good teamwork is allowing open communication between your team members. This can be encouraged through the layout and design of your office, allowing your staff members to communicate openly with each other. It’s important that you make sure people feel free to express their views and haven open discussions with each other. People want to be assured that their voice is heard and that if they are coming up with new ideas they are valued. If people don’t feel like they can openly communicate then teamwork may not be as good between staff.
Defined Roles
Another way that you can instil and encourage teamwork in the office is with well-defined roles. It’s important to make sure that everyone has a role and is aware of their importance to the business. If people don’t feel like they play a part in the business or have a defined role then it is likely they won’t contribute as much. You should also make sure that people feel they have a part to play in the success of the business and that it’s not just the more senior staff members that should contribute to the team. If people feel like they are part of a team they are more likely to work with each other and contribute.
Regular Meetings
It’s important that you set up an area for regular meetings between your staff members. This can be a place for people to voice their opinions and also bring ideas to the table. It can also be a place for discussion and somewhere that people can agree to work together on a project. You should make sure that you allow your staff enough time to have meetings, even if they are simply for creative purposes. It’s important that you discuss what everyone has been working on and open it up for discussion. It can also help for people to get away from their desk and take the focus off what they’re doing. A good meeting area with a meeting table or soft seating can be ideal for this.
Clear Processes
Make sure that you have clear processes in place so people know who they should ask if they have any questions. If your staff don’t know who they should share ideas with or work with on a project, they may just work on it by themselves. By setting out some guidelines that people can follow, you can encourage more teamwork as people have a better idea of what they should be doing. Allow team members time to work together on a project. This will hopefully mean that people are more comfortable sharing ideas with each other and working on a project. By putting the processes in place in can encourage people to work together on their own accord too.
The Right Furniture
This can actually have a significant impact on the communication between your staff and how well they work as a team. The layout of the office and how comfortable your employees are can have a huge impact on how well they work together. Choosing the right desk for your staff is essential as it can allow for easier communication. If you have sporadic desk placement and people are closed in or facing away from each other, then this can prevent your team from working together. Making sure that people are comfortable in general is also important and you should consider the right kind of task chairs for your staff.
