Creating a Cohesive Team Environment

A cohesive team will achieve success whereas a divided team will fail. Cohesive teams work together for a common goal and the team is prioritised over the individual. Yet the individual is not ignored as each member of the team makes a unique contribution that makes a successful outcome possible. Here we look at how to create cohesive teams.

Hire a Team That Fits Together

If you are not handed an existing team and have the opportunity to hire your team from scratch, you will need a plan to maximise pulling together a group of diverse people with the ability to cohere. Keep in mind the culture of the organisation and select individuals who will not be at odds with company values and normative behaviours.

Start by identifying the specific skills and knowledge your team will need to be at their best. This way you can hire employees who will complement one another’s strengths and weaknesses. Use a staffing model to maximise the recruitment process.

Be open to options such as recalling a previous employee who you know will benefit the team. Look through applications for previous rounds of recruitment. If you are aware of someone already within the company who will be a good fit, have a discussion with them on their availability and willingness to be a member of your team. If an important element of the team is still lacking, consider headhunting the right individual to meet your needs.

As part of the recruitment process, and before performing the final interviews, get the applicants you have shortlisted together in a group session where you can evaluate their interactions and become aware of individuals with the potential to sow discord or negativity.

Create a Team Mission Statement

The organisation will have a mission statement that covers the strategic level of the business. Make sure that your team members all grasp this mission statement and how their role impacts it and fits into the organisation as a whole. Then, as a group, come up with a mission statement for your team. Ensure that it reflects their long-term objectives as well as their day-to-day duties. It should be aligned with the company’s vision and mission and increase the sense of belonging to a greater whole. The final version must be displayed in large lettering in the team’s working area.

Team Goals

After deciding on your mission statement as a team, you need to drill further down into what the team’s goals are. Have everyone write down each team goal and record their role in attaining it. Do this as a group exercise and allow for plenty of discussion. Look for overlaps so that there is no conflict over who is responsible for what. This will also prevent unhealthy competition, provide everyone with clarity, and show how the team fits together, which will enhance collaboration.

Once everyone is clear about what they will be doing to achieve the team goals, have them record their objectives and display them at their workstations. The team goals should be placed with the team mission in the shared area.

Before starting this exercise, you need to have already determined what the goals are so that you can ensure that, in the final set, nothing important is omitted.

Employee Engagement and Corporate Festivals

Employee engagement is a measure of how involved staff members are with their organisation and support its objectives. Engagement can be fostered. Joint activities away from the office can cement team spirit and build trust between the members of a team. They will get to know each other better and start to achieve rapport.

Unfortunately, many team-building activities have devolved into a set of conferences that last all day and sometimes into the night, the only difference being that it takes place away from work. This is not conducive to the team cohesion you are aiming to create. What is effective is a corporate festival.

A corporate festival also happens at a different location. However, unlike typical team builds, it has a quality of excellence that expresses your regard for your team and an expectation that they will live up to it. As the name suggests, the atmosphere should be festive. 

A few steps of planning are required. Be clear about what you want to cover during this time. It must relate to the team’s purpose. For example, part of your objectives could be to cover the team mission and the team and individual goals already outlined. Perhaps you want it to conclude with a completed project plan with timelines.

Select a venue that does not resemble a conference facility. Break the mould. Build fun into the occasion. Get team members engaged with Yurtel Corporate Adventures corporate festivals for a great event. Choose speakers such as comedians rather than motivational speakers, who can be drab. Intersperse the working sessions with the entertainment you have arranged. Some of the latter should include group activities such as a drumming circle, led by a professional in the field who can also get a group energised and able to let their hair down. Likewise, work sessions should involve interesting settings such as a fireside discussion.

This guide will enable you to establish a cohesive team and meet your goals together.