Building a team at work—no matter how small your office—is one of the keys to economic success. If your employees have synergy, anything is possible. When the communication barriers break down, that's when the problems arise—and sooner or later, it will affect your bottom line.
Here are a few ways to establish a positive work environment:
Educate employees
Every so often, it's important to remind employees of the company's broader mission and values. Belonging to a team is about understanding a goal and purpose broader than oneself. It may be time to hold a meeting or send out an e-mail with some company literature highlighting the company's founding principles.
Define clear expectations
Ensure that your employees understand what is expected of them. With ambiguity, employees won't understand what their roles are—and this could cause confusion and stress between departments. Is the sales team or the tech group responsible for carrying out a certain task? Who has the final say in certain situations? And have you, as the employer, provided all the necessary resources—including time and money—for these tasks to be completed? With clarity, there is more cohesiveness.
Give employees value
It's crucial for employees to understand their specific purpose. This is an extension of the mission: what is the employee's part in fulfilling this mission? And how will she accomplish this? Annual reviews are important, but regular one-on-ones between managers and employees will help establish a continued sense of purpose. Focusing on the individual first will then improve morale overall within the company.
Hold regular team meetings
In addition to ensuring one-on-one meetings occur, it's important to regularly bring entire teams together—even if there isn't a pressing agenda. Not to say that these meetings need to be long, but having a 15-minute pow-wow at least once a week to praise employees and discuss any concerns can dramatically improve morale.
Keep an open door policy
Of course, not everyone will feel comfortable bringing up concerns at an open meeting. That's why it's important for a manager to remain available to employees. Not to say you need to take phone calls while vacationing, but being available for conversation can help diffuse tense situations before they implode.
Establish commitment to the cause
Once employees understand the company's mission and their role within the mission, it's crucial to establish each employee commitment to that higher purpose. This involves incentives as well as continual recognition of employee accomplishments. Compensation is important, but if your company is cash-strapped, you can provide other incentives or benefits to employees, such as company stock.
Walk a mile in someone else's shoes
Educate employees about what others are doing in the company. This might involve highlighting someone's accomplishments during a meeting, or even having each employee spend an hour with each department throughout the course of a few months. Or, schedule cross-team lunches or meetings. These may seem forced at first, but you'll create a sense of understanding between employees and departments.
Be transparent
Just as a manager expects honesty from his employees, every good boss is open (to the extent that it's appropriate) with employees. This involves regularly updating the company on the state of business, and being honest about any failures or mistakes. Creating open communication from the top down is crucial to a company's health.
Hold work-sponsored social events
It's amazing what a big difference a happy hour or golf outing can make. These types of events allow for employees to get to know one another more authentically. This will create more understanding and openness in the workplace.
A cohesive environment usually takes some time to establish. Give it a few months. And if you notice that there are specific employees that are hindering growth, have a talk with them. Or conversely, even if your employees have great synergy, it's important to be proactive. Like a marriage, working relationships require time and effort.
