When you work in an office, personal interactions can make or break your day. It can be really hard to do a good job when there are people that don’t get along. If you have ever worked in a negative office environment, then you will know just how much of an impact it can make.

This can prove just how important the experience of having a positive team spirit can be. But the thing is, positive teamwork doesn’t just happen by accident. If you are a manager, then it is up to you to help to foster a cooperative energy that will help to take your business to the next level.

So you have to think about encouraging teamwork in the office. That is, without some of the ‘typical’ team days where you ‘build trust’ outdoors at a team building center. Such activities may work for some company cultures. However, day-to-day positivity in the workplace is not built with offsite games. Here are a few ways you can build a positive teamwork environment in the office.

How to Encourage a Positive Team Spirit in the Office

Define Clear Job Roles

Confusion in the office of who needs to be doing what, can be something that can breed chaos. So as a business leader, you have to be sure to give clear job roles and responsibilities. Then everyone knows what they need to do and what a difference it can make.

When this isn’t done, it can lead the way for a member of the team to try to seize power. Something like this can really make a team take sides or turn against each other. So one thing to do is to make sure that everyone knows the things they have to do in the workplace.

For example, if it takes time to start a new project, then you need to give every person involved a clear job description. This is in addition to providing a reporting chain of command, so they know who to speak to if they need to.

When leaders are working to define a loose and inviting company culture, they often do so with the notion that titles and responsibilities are too old school and rigid. However, these are the very things that help to establish clarity amongst team members.

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Get Your Team Involved in Decision Making

Of course, if you are the leader in business, then everything will stop with you and you will have the final say with things. But a team is likely to be much more invested if they are able to have a say in some basic decisions. In fact, there was a 2014 study that found that team members are going to be less committed if they don’t think that their ideas have been listened to. So what you need to do as a manager or leader is quite obvious: Make sure that you let your team get involved.

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Encourage Social Interaction Outside of Work

Your team are much more likely to get along better if they get to know each other better. And this can be much simpler when they are able to do that outside of work. This can make the team members more human and less of just a person at work. It can help to build a bond between the team that isn’t quite the same when you’re at work focused on work.

It could be something like arranging or encouraging an after-work drink. Or, you could arrange to take your team out for the day. There are plenty of work happy hour ideas online, so you can try something new if your team needs to do some bonding.

The whole point of promoting a positive team spirit with social activities is to have a bit of fun. It helps to build some relationships that don’t simply revolve around the office and work. The outcome is that morale will be higher, and the team is more likely to support each other a little more.

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Acknowledge and Reward Good Performance

If you want to shine a light on some teamwork, then consider rewarding what people do well. When a team performs well on a project, why not let the rest of the business know about it? Of course, there is no need to go break the bank with rewards. However, showing them that you are pleased and that the teamwork effort is appreciated is encouraging for the entire team.

Making it a point to publicly acknowledge a job well done can encourage better teamwork in the future. It can also encourage your team to do more and more. The rewards could be things like a small bonus, time off, lunch, or just an early finish that day. Just the act of showing appreciation is going to help a lot.

Final Thoughts

Teamwork is something that is so important in the workplace. As a small business owner and leader, it starts with you. So, make sure that you keep your communication clear, have clear and defined roles, and rewards for when things are done well. When you create an environment that highlights a positive team spirit, your team will appreciate it!

Ciao,
Miss Kemya