Today’s dynamic business environment requires the collaboration of highly educated specialists. These executives from diverse backgrounds form the core of cross-functional teams. They are required to work together to meet targets quickly. The teams may work closely, or collaborate online from remote locations. About 86% of failure at the workplace is caused due to the lack of collaboration within the team.
With origin, race, culture, and background no longer a barrier, a productive team requires that its members have excellent interpersonal skills. These skills will allow them to collaborate fruitfully to achieve the desired objectives. So, if you are looking at having a team that delivers high-performance, then here are five ways that you can make it.
Support Informal Gatherings Among Teammates
When teammates meet in informal settings, it encourages them to get to know each other on a personal level. This may result in unlikely friendships and bonding among colleagues. Rather than organizing elaborate team-building events, please encourage them to socialize with each other outside office hours.
Such team-building exercises should not be top-down but instead built organically. Such voluntary participation will be more effective than forced team building. The interpersonal skills of the employees come into play as team members communicate with each other outside the realm of their regular point of discussion.
Role Clarity to Avoid Confusion
Cross-functional teams face the problem of overlapping roles. This results in conflicts and duplication. To avoid this, it is best to state the positions of each team member clearly. It is a good idea to document this so that it can be referred to in case of conflicts.
With a clear distinction of roles comes the clarity of tasks. That means no overlapping or conflicts. It helps avoid delays and develops a healthy team spirit as each knows how they need to contribute.
Management Support
When executives support and encourage team collaborations, the team can perform well. The time and effort that they invest in team building demonstrate the critical role that the team plays. It fosters trust and a sense of responsibility.
Complex teams are known to perform well, even under pressure, when managers support them. It allows teams to take ownership of their tasks and thus deliver top-notch performance.
Constructive Feedback
Feedback is a vital mechanism that improves the team’s performance. A constructive feedback mechanism helps team members support each other in delivering complex projects. When the team can communicate with each other and give feedback without offending other persons, the team is collaborating at a high-level.
Measure Performance
Every team is formed to meet a specific business goal. These goals need to be measurable, and the performance of each team member needs to be gauged. It assures that each member of your team strives to deliver the best quality of work.
Defining performance parameters such as who will perform what, the timelines, and the communication flow will foster a healthy team spirit. Interpersonal skills play a vital role in this as they allow effective communication among team members.
Competitive business practices require teams to collaborate across regions, functions, and levels. That needs an investment of both time and effort at the executive level. When team building is organically developed, rather than forced upon the team, they perform better.
