How To Build A Strong Team At Work

How to Build a Strong Team at Work

Building a strong team at work is no easy task. However, many organizations have achieved this, and you can too.

The role of a strong team in the smooth running and success of an organization cannot be overemphasized.

It is what usually makes the difference between mediocre businesses and successful ones.

And it’s not difficult to see why.

For one thing, no one person who is a business owner can effectively reach his/her business goals in isolation.

Regardless of how intelligent, hardworking, or skillful you are, you still need people to build and grow a business.

This is the reason why many businesses do not joke about building an effective team.

However, it is not just enough to build a team.

The team you are building should be a strong one.

This is because only a strong team can help you achieve goals and even beyond your expectations.

However, this is not the case with weak teams.

This is because they would be ineffective and incompetent.

Thus, doing more harm than good to your organization.

What more?

During trying times, a weak team does not have what it takes to stay united and pull through but will fall apart.

You will see practical ways to put together a strong team of efficient and top-performing individuals as you read on.

What, though,  is a strong team?

What is a Strong Team at Work?

You probably know what a team at work is by now.

A team is a term that describes a group of employees who have been recruited and brought together for a common goal or objective.

In many organizations, depending on the size, there might be different teams making up different departments.

In some, the whole employees make up the team.

Regardless of the structure and size of the organization, every employee of an organization can equally be regarded as a team member. 

Therefore, a strong team is a team that has all the qualities, skills, and expertise needed for success.

By success, we mean achieving organizational goals and exceeding expectations.

A strong team is equally a closely united team, making it difficult for anything or anyone to pull them apart.

Their bond is so strong that they can overcome any obstacle as a united force.

Strong teams portray strength both in work expertise, human relations, and customer satisfaction.

All these areas make a strong team at work.

Find below some of the characteristics of a strong team, so you can ascertain if the team you have at work falls in that category.

Characteristics of a Strong Team at Work

In addition to the definition and brief explanation of a strong team is given above, certain attributes characterize a strong team, especially at work. 

Let us look at some of them.

This would either help you recognize a strong team or see what characteristics you need in your employees to help you build one for yourself.

There is Open Communication

Of all the things a strong team can be faulty for, communication is not one of them.

It isn’t surprising because open communication on its own is proven to be effective in building a strong team at work.

Hence, when you see a strong team, the members of such a team are great communicators.

A strong team does not consist of people who hardly speak to one another or make assumptions about things.

Instead, they are very open, giving and getting feedback both from their bosses and co-workers.

And this, in turn, keeps them stronger.

They are Very Productive

Another characteristic that you will readily see in a strong team at work is high productivity.

Why would it not?

The team’s strength is equally measured in how best they can utilize the resources provided to get results. 

A strong team would collaboratively carry out assigned duties in record time, always at the top of their game.

They Have Top-Notch Conflict Resolution

To be sure, for one thing, a strong team at work would not have a lot of disagreements and quarrels.

This is because of the unity of mind and purpose they have. 

However, because they are humans, after all, sometimes there might be misunderstandings.

But this is where a strong team excels over a weak one.

At such times, a strong team would not let that break them apart.

Instead, they find a way always to put aside differences and resolve them ASAP, so it doesn’t affect their work.

Respect on the Team is Non-negotiable

Wherever you find a strong team, you find mutual respect.

Respect is something that is not taken for granted on such a team.

Whether employees are just recruited newly or have been with the organization for some time, respect is given to everyone.

A strong team understands that there is more collaboration and productivity with mutual trust and respect amongst them.

They are Great at Problem Solving

If a team is not great at solving problems, there is absolutely no reason to refer to such a team as a strong team.

Hence, one thing that characterizes a strong team at work is how they approach and solve problems. 

These problems are not just limited to disagreements that arise among employees or customers but also include issues related to the job itself.

With advancing technology, changes in the market, or other innovations in the industry you belong to, your team would encounter certain challenges at some point.

A great team doesn’t get weak in the face of challenges and breaks apart.

Instead, together they devise solutions to such problems and challenges and come out of them unscathed.

They are Self Driven and Motivated

While incentivizing employees to build morale is definitely not out of place, it is often more beneficial to have self-motivated employees on your team.

That is self-motivated individuals, having the drive and passion for doing something worthwhile without necessarily getting the push from others.

Of course, you understand the importance of teamwork in an organization.

However, let’s spell out the importance of having a strong tea.

Why is it Important to Build a Strong Team at Work?

A good and effective team is essential in the workplace, regardless of whatever industry you belong to or your line of business.

As important as having a good team is, building a strong team at work is even more important. 

While they are quite similar, it is possible to have a good team that is not very strong.

The team’s strength is revealed primarily in the way they push the organization towards its set goals and also in how they handle stressful situations.

If your team at work isn’t strong, you as an employer or business owner would be the first to suffer for it.

This is so because you will have to spend a lot of time and energy covering the cracks, which would have been best spent in other valuable endeavors. 

It would also affect interpersonal relationships in your organization as quarrels, frictions, and disagreements would be the order of the day on such teams. 

Additionally, not having a strong team at work will also affect your business’s success.

There’s so little you can do alone, and hence you need strong people around you to help through the journey.

If your team is not strong, this would be difficult or outrightly impossible.

Other Benefits 

Another reason why building a strong team at work is important is because it can help you retain your employees and have them stay with you for a long time.

How is that so?

Without a strong team and effective teamwork in your organization, you run the risk of having your key employees suffering burnout.

This is due to excessive workload and job dissatisfaction.

In such circumstances, it is only a matter of time before good employees leave your establishment. 

In all, we can summarize the benefits of building a strong team at work as follows:

  • A strong team helps you manage your time as an employer
  • It helps to keep employees united
  • A strong team reduces frictions and disagreements in the workplace
  • It helps increase employee retention
  • A strong team Increases productivity
  • It helps you overcome challenges and difficulties at work
  • A strong team also increases the rate of customer retention

How to Build a Strong Team at Work

As a leader, you are responsible for putting together a strong and effective team at work.

It sounds very nice and easy.

However, it is anything but easy to achieve. 

That doesn’t mean it is impossible, though.

All it takes to build a strong team at work effectively is proper planning, especially during recruitment, and putting the necessary measures in place.

You will also need to understand that it doesn’t happen overnight.

So it equally requires patience and time. 

Therefore, how do you build a strong team at work that would get things done, exceed expectations, and contribute to your organization’s unity?

Try the following strategies:

Hire Employees Based on Merit

This step is significant when it comes to building a strong team at work.

Whether or not you will be able to build the effective team you desire is dependent to a very large extent on your hiring process. 

When hiring, it is good to have a list of what you desire in a prospective employee related to your dreams, mission, and vision.

Then, when you get a list of shortlisted candidates or applicants, you should use your initial list to vet through and make a choice. 

Sometimes, there might be a temptation to take people based on sentiments, maybe because they were referred to you by someone you know or respect.

While it is not wrong to be nice to others, you need to hire on merit if you are going to build a strong team.

Many of the skills, qualities, and personality traits that make up a strong and effective team at work are not easily learnable.

A lot of these are inherent in individuals.

Hence, don’t leave it to chance.

Instead, be intentional about getting those who have these qualities instilled in them already.

This is because it’s easier to fit such individuals into your organization’s culture and your ideal plan for a strong team at work.

Therefore, when hiring people to make up your team, focus on their skills, talents, expertise, experience, and, very importantly, their attitude and personality.

The task of building a strong team gets easier from here on.

Get People of Diverse Skills and Experience on the Team

Another thing that can help build strength on a team at work is having diversity on the team.

You wouldn’t want to have a team of experts with the same or similar skills, talents, and abilities.

When that is the case, what happens is that your organization will be doing great in a particular area but might be lacking in some.

And that doesn’t speak well for a strong team.

In a strong team, individuals should have varying skills and expertise in differing fields.

This is so because your business will face different kinds of challenges and only a team with diverse skills can pull up collective efforts and step up to the challenge.

Regularly Engage in Team Building Activities

One other way you can build a strong team at work is by keeping the bonds between your team members close and strong.

That means that aside from just being fellow employees, your staff should share a strong bond, like the one that exists between close friends or family members.

The benefit of this is that you will have employees always willing and ready to stand for each other.

This is so because, there is love among them, and hence no one wants to see the other fail.

Also, there would be no cases of one person thinking about himself only without reference for the others.

This, in turn, will make your team stronger.

One very effective way you can achieve this is by engaging your team in team-building activities from time to time.

It might have to do with their work, where you require them to work on a project together.

They might also engage in more fun activities outside of work.

All these go a long way in building a team and making them strong.

Provide Regular Training Sessions for the Team 

If you want to know how practical training is for building a strong team, you just need to look at a football team.

Regardless of how talented and skillful the players on the team are, the team never fails to take training sessions.

Think about some of the best football teams in the world.

Every day, they train harder to get better and stronger.

The same thing applies to building a strong team at work.

Having regular training sessions go a long way in preparing the team for every eventuality.

It can make a weak team strong and an already strong team stronger.

Delegate Responsibilities to The Team 

Are you the type of employer or boss that loves to do everything yourself?

It could be that you do not fully trust that anyone else will carry out those responsibilities as effectively as you would.

Well, if you do this, you are not helping your team build strength in all areas.

There is a saying that “experience is the best teacher.”

That shows that if you want someone to be excellent and effective in a task, you need to allow them to do it.

This same principle applies to building a strong team at work.

You should always delegate responsibilities to them, within their capability, to make them strong.

Well, they might not meet up with your expectations sometimes or make mistakes along the way, but it would be worth it in the long run.

Put Emphasis on Open Communication and Feedback 

One of the main strongholds of an effective team in the workplace is open communication.

Communication should exist both between the employees and the management and also amongst employees themselves.

As a leader, you should also be generous with giving feedback to your subordinates.

It doesn’t matter if it’s positive feedback by way of commendation or negative feedback by reprimand.

They are both very important.

When you leave the door of communication open, and there is adequate feedback, it can help improve your team’s morale and help them stay strong.

Value the Input of Individual Team Members 

Nothing puts strain on team unity and togetherness like feelings of jealousy and envy.

One thing that breeds jealousy or envy in the workplace is when some employees appear to gain more favor than others.

When this happens, it can affect the efficiency of your team and disrupt their strength.

What you can do to solve this problem or prevent it is to recognize your team members’ efforts and contributions.

Not just as a team but also as individuals.

That means you need to know what each person brings to the team and show that you value it regardless of how little their contributions may seem.

You can express your appreciation and recognition by words or even by giving gifts.

Nip Disagreements and Conflicts in the Bud 

When you put people of differing personalities, backgrounds, interests, and opinions together, you can always expect disagreements and conflicts.

That is normal with diverse or multicultural teams.

However, what is not normal is allowing such disagreements to escalate into long-time resentment and irreconcilable differences.

And that would weaken any team.

Hence, the best thing to do is to tackle disagreements promptly.

If you notice disputes between some of your employees, promptly intervene and help to set things straight.

This can help you to build a strong team at work.

Final Thoughts on How to Build a Strong Team at Work 

Having a team is very important, but building it into a strong one is even more important.

When you build a strong team at work, you are setting up your business for sure success.

You have people you can count on to do what is necessary to achieve your set goals and

objectives.

With that in place, you can only record success in customer acquisition, retention, sales, and of course, business growth.