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Getting your team pulling in the same direction…

It’s a timeless challenge for anyone managing a team. After all, teams are made up of people and people have personalities, egos, and different points of view. So what can you do to get everyone reading from the same proverbial “sheet of music” and working together?

Rather than giving your team an objective and hoping for the best, here are a few things you can do to get started on creating team cohesiveness.

Think through the “what” and “why”

Be clear about what your team is trying to achieve and why it matters. Trying to be all things to all people rarely works and usually leads to frustration all around. So, get focused and make sure everyone on the team understands the mission.

Once you’re clear about the “what” and “why,” you’ll want to use this information to set a way to measure success.

Establish a clear goal for your team

Trying to accomplish too much is a recipe for disaster and will only lead to frustration. So, set a goal that is challenging but achievable.

You’ll want to be clear that your goal isn’t mushy. “Improve growth” is a bad goal. “Ensure that every new customer is successfully onboarding by adding 5 new metrics” is better. Something that at the end you can say yes, we accomplished this or no, we didn’t.

Communicate that goal with clarity & enthusiasm

Get people excited! Tell them why they should be excited.

Excitement is contagious. And if you’re lackluster in your enthusiasm about what you’re trying to be, don’t be surprised when your team feels the same.

Define each team member’s role and responsibilities

Beyond team communication, you’ll also want to break down what this means for each individual on the team. This is to help them understand how their individual efforts fit into the big picture and why it matters.

We all want to be a part of something larger than ourselves and feel like we’re making progress. When you can tap into that, you’ll be amazed at what people will do.

Encourage open communication and collaboration among team members

At the end of the day, people need to feel like they can trust each other and that their voices are being heard. Encourage team members to share openly with one another and create an environment where collaboration is encouraged.

Some ways to do this include:

• written updates
• daily standups
• shared documents
• weekly syncs

Hold everyone accountable to meeting the goal

Set the expectation that everyone is working towards the same goal and that progress will be reported regularly.

You should also set up a system of accountability so that if someone isn’t meeting their responsibilities, there are consequences. Bottom line – if you create a goal and give people too much leeway or room for excuses when they’re not hitting them, don’t be surprised when it becomes a habit.

Celebrate successes along the way!

On the other hand, when the team is meeting their responsibilities, things should be celebrated. Share wins.

Let people know when they’ve done a great job.

A little recognition goes a long way in keeping people motivated and inspired to do their best work.

Do post-mortems

After you’ve reached your goal, take some time to review what went well and what could have been done better. This is a chance for the team to come together and learn from their experience so that they can be even more successful next time.

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These are just a few tips to get you started on creating a cohesive team.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for getting everyone on your team rowing in the same direction but if you start with these tips, you’ll be well on your way.