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A crucial component of small business success and growth is teamwork. Teamwork and cooperation cultivate new ideas, helps to solve problems, builds moral and provides support. Without teamwork and cooperation, your business could really suffer if it’s not running smoothly or if particular goals aren’t met. Every solid work environment needs effective collaboration, but this is not a given; it must be encouraged and nurtured. There are various activities and initiatives that leadership can utilize to boost cooperation and teamwork. Let’s look at four examples that you can adopt in your small business.
1. Resolve Conflict Swiftly and Efficiently
Conflict is often a feature in a team setting, especially in instances where there’s a communication breakdown or employees are dealing with personal issues. Resolving conflict quickly and efficiently can prevent division among team members and communication barriers. Scolding is not the answer in a workplace environment, and hugging it out is just as limited as an efficient solution. You should have specific and clearly established ways of resolving conflict among your employees, and it should be in a manner that allows everyone to have a voice. Resolving conflict quickly keeps the flow of activity moving and prevent extended disruptions that can negatively impact your business.
2. Make Teamwork and Cooperation Company Culture
Cooperation and teamwork should be key values within your business in order to foster successful collaboration among coworkers. This requires, in part, creating a system that recognizes contributions and performance not only on an individual basis but on a group level as well. In creating a culture of teamwork and cooperation, you must create a work environment that encourages employees to be bold in sharing their ideas. Moreover, at the core of your small business and its mission statement should be the central theme of teamwork and cooperation. Utilizing tools like coworking management software, for example, is a great way to elevate the teamwork experience.
3. Clarify Roles
For coworkers to work effectively in a group, there cannot be any ambiguity as it pertains to the specific roles and responsibilities of each team member. If ambiguity is present, the result could be a situation in which team members can take the opportunity to unfairly delegate their work to another member. This can lead to resentment that can stifle team cohesion and productivity. You should ensure to clearly document roles and responsibilities for each individual, and this documentation should be accessible to all the team members to serve as a reference point and establish individual obligations.
4. Encourage Socialization Outside of Work
The workplace is not the ideal environment for coworkers to bond on a deeper, personal level. Team collaboration could be enhanced if coworkers get to learn more about each other outside the office. Encourage social connections not only inside of the workplace but outside as well. Individual team members can do small social activities like meeting up for a movie, having a casual lunch to form a stronger working connection, break down barriers and build trust.
Your small business could benefit greatly from efficient cooperation and teamwork. Workplace productivity and profits can be improved with solid teamwork and collaboration. If you find that your small business is suffering from lackluster cooperation and teamwork, identify the problem areas and fix it. You can boost cooperation and teamwork by resolving conflict swiftly and efficiently, making teamwork and cooperation central to your business, clarifying roles and encouraging socialization outside the workplace.
