5 ways to strengthen teamwork in the workplace

One of the most undervalued and underutilised workplace strategies continues to be teamwork and collaboration. Workers would rather work by themselves so they can get tasks completed without any external distractions. However, it can be hard for a company to progress by doing this – 86% of employees and executives believe that lack of collaboration or ineffective communication are responsible for workplace failures.

When it comes to how you can strengthen teamwork in the workplace, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best thing an organisation can do is to try a number of different strategies to see what works best for their teams at the time.

If you want your staff to work together and deliver great results, here are some of our top tips for strengthening the teamwork in your organisation.

Communicate frequently

At the core of great teamwork is good communication… and lots of it! Frequent contact with colleagues, both in person and via technology help to keeps everyone in the know. Additionally, teams that interact regularly and efficiently will not only complete tasks faster, but more successfully than those that do not.

As the culture of remote working rises, online communication and collaboration tools have taken off. This is especially true for Microsoft 365, the ‘go-to’ eternrprise cloud service for organisations who are looking to be as productive as possible. It creates a central place where team members can communicate as well as access files and work on them together from anywhere. We recognised the popularity of Microsoft 365 and the benefits in terms of communication it can bring to employees in all industries, so integrated Microsoft 365 into our successful Hosted Desktop product.

Although communication is key, it needs to be a two-way street. When it only flows downward from management, team members can feel uncomfortable or unable to share ideas and voice their opinion. As a result, it is important for it to flow upward and between team members so that they can feel as if they can communicate openly without getting shot down.

Clarify roles

If staff are unaware of their roles, teamwork can be a challenge. Tasks can often fail to be completed as well as co-workers delegating their work to others when they are not meant to. If this occurs in an organisation, it can lead to resentment and tension between team members which will ultimately impact the standard of work being completed.

Clearly documents the roles of employees in a place that can be accessed by all employees, whether they are in the office, at home, or on-the-go. Company intranets are a great place for this as it means remote employees who don’t have the option for face-to-face communication can clear up any immediate questions or concerns surrounding the responsibilities of the team easily.

While it is not necessary for each individual in your organisation to know the exact duties of all others, they should be aware of the roles and responsibilities of their direct team members.

Provide multiple ways for communication

Everyone works differently. This is especially true for communication, where employees will be more effective in communicating via their preferred style. For example, some may prefer to communicate one-on-one, whereas others may feel more comfortable talking over text.

Providing the right tools for a variety of communication styles and allowing staff to utilise whatever works for them will help with teamwork as it means everyone can have their say. Microsoft Teams, a platform as part of the Microsoft 365 productivity suite offers multiple ways in which teams can communicate with one another. For example, employees can call, text or video chat with individuals or in group chats.

Specify goals

Every organisation, no matter what size or industry should have a clear goal in mind. All staff should be made aware of and understand what that goal is. If an organisation has not clearly defined its goals, then it can be difficult for team members to work together effectively as they may not be on the same page.

When the goal is clearly established, it will influence all team communications and help mean everyone is working for the same target. Individual teams must also look at their own objectives to ensure that they are in line with the business goal. Both of these will help to ensure teamwork is purposeful and more streamlined.

SMART is an acronym that a number of successful organisations use to guide their goal setting. They are a great way of helping to clarify the ideas of your team, focus your efforts and ensure you use your time and resources effectively. As the goals are specific and measurable, it is will be evident if teams are on track.

Reward quality teamwork

According to research, recognised employees are satisfied employees. And satisfied employees tend to do better work. If you want a happier team, with stronger teamwork skills, it will pay to make changes to ensure they feel appreciated for their efforts.

Recognition and rewarding can come in many different forms. It needn’t be large, but it’s should be frequent. For instance, kind words from a direct manager or a photo in the company’s internal newsletter with a description are small gestures that can have a big impact in many ways.

These days, teamwork is everything. However, will not be done well if imposed on employees forcefully. It must be worked on over time and will come when there is positive workplace culture. By adding some of the tips listed in this blog, you will soon reap the benefits.

Microsoft Teams was designed with great teamwork in mind. It supports many communication and collaboration methods that not only strengthen but drive teamwork. From individual as well as small group chats, to threaded, structured discussions in channels, Teams provides unparalleled centralisation for all elements of teamwork. As part of the Microsoft 365 suite, staff can utilise Microsoft Teams and many of other apps sitting within Microsoft 365 which have already proven to strengthen teamwork and boost productivity.

If you have concerns about security, then the Serval Hosted Workspace combines the security of a Hosted Desktop with the mobility of Microsoft 365. For example, Microsoft 365 strengthens teamwork by providing access to tools which allow employees to communicate and collaborate the way in which they prefer from anywhere and our Hosted Desktop enables employees to work in a secure, encrypted environment that remains constant whether they are in the office, at home or on-the-go.

If you’re looking to bolster teamwork in your organisation, why get in touch to not learn about our Hosted Desktop and how Microsoft 365 has been successfully integrated into it to create the perfect secure, yet fully flexible environment for your workforce to work together.