Best Way to Build Team Spirit at Work

To have an uplifting working environment, building team spirit is the key. The main characteristic of a high-performing team is that they have this almost like an organic bond with each other. When people establish a strong bond with their teammates, they make a more positive contribution to the team as well. In other words, the best thing you can do for your team is to build team spirit together with your colleagues.

Creating a team spirit is essential for a productive workplace.

The Importance of Teamwork and Team Spirit

First, we must know the difference between teamwork and team spirit. Teamwork means the work you have done within the group, whereas team spirit corresponds to the general atmosphere and dynamics of a certain group. Team spirit directly affects the functioning of teamwork. If there is a high team spirit, then there is a good quality of teamwork. As being responsible to coordinate the team, the manager has the essential role to build that spirit in the workplace.

What Would a Manager Do to Build Team Spirit

We understand that well-functioning cooperation and teamwork among colleagues emerge from a great team spirit. However, what would a good manager do to provide that kind of environment to the employees? Here are some of the most efficient methods for a good manager to follow:

• Positive Attitude at Work
• Working Well with Others
• Positive Contribution to a Team
• The More Similar a Work Group, The Better Job They Will Do
• Creating a Shared Story with a Colleague
• Team Building Words of Encouragement
• Cultural and Ethical Methods

How to Build Up Team Spirit at Work

A good manager must be a good leader to pursue a strategy to maximize the productivity of a team. To achieve this goal, a manager must follow a certain strategy to boost team spirit.

Positive Attitude at Work

Why attitude is important in the workplace? Since no one wants to work in a toxic working environment, especially with a manager who demotivates their team occasionally by his/her negative approach, it is one of the most primary conditions of a healthy workplace. Constant negative and tense behavior of someone in the team would decrease the energy of others. Thus, it leads to certain detachment and loosens the bond of the team.

To strengthen the bond in a group, a good manager must understand the needs of his team members and act upon them. In the time of need, he/she must know how to boost the morale of others. Even the slightest things like smiling, a simple compliment, or an appreciation will help to uplift team spirit and reduce stressful situations.

Working Well with Others

As we mentioned above, a great team spirit emerges from great teamwork which is based on collaboration. Having an ability to work independently and as part of a team as well, is a real plus in business life. You can fulfill your responsibilities, but being in a harmony with the team as a whole is the highest priority skill you should have. Thus, you should improve the collaborative skills that you can use to create a more positive atmosphere in the workplace.

You can start to improve your collaborative skills by trusting others. Do not be a person who has a know-it-all attitude and appreciates others’ ideas by being open to different suggestions. If your teammates come up with a great idea, do not hesitate to give them credit and acknowledge it.

Know your strengths and weaknesses. Undertake the tasks according to your strengths and abilities, but do not rely on others completely when you feel inadequate for a certain task.

Positive Contribution to a Team

A manager must make sure that everyone knows how to contribute better to a team. If the distribution of tasks will be done properly, everyone can understand what to do and the process will be much easier in any project. Clarifying the task description of each team member will enable them not to feel directionless in the project and manage their time appropriately. Organizing the main structure of a project, and follow-up according to that requires cooperation with each team member. A skillful manager must have a good command of knowledge on each operation to be able to comprehend what is necessary to be done and how to conduct the process in case of a disfunction.

Also, a good leader must know how to reinforce great ideas in the team. People should feel free to share their opinions, suggestions, unordinary ideas. Managers can contribute a lot just by being open the new ideas.

The More Similar a Work Group, The Better Job They Will Do

Similarity within the group would increase the harmony between the members. In the team, everyone can have a different kind of personality, but sharing the same values and having the same sense of work ethics would definitely promote a great team spirit. For instance, the way of working can differ according to the personality traits of individuals, such as being more extroverted or introverted, but if they have the same sense of engagement to their work, then the team would function neatly.

However, this kind of functionality occurs when the leader cooperates in providing others to reveal their best skills. In the case of team members sharing the same values whereas having different working styles might be a huge advantage in the hand of a competent manager who can analyze the abilities of each member and utilize them wisely.

Creating a Shared Story with a Colleague

Establishing a bond with others in a workplace has a positive effect on so many levels. Yes, professionalism and work ethic is important but there is also an emotional and humane side of any business conducted by a group of people. Group dynamics can affect the job in a positive or a negative way. To turn it into something positive, spending time with a colleague, such as having a lunch break together or going out for a happy hour, would make a lot of difference.

Having a quality of time with coworkers other than small talks would create a shared memory which increases the emotional attachment. Having a strong attachment that enables members to support each other in times of need is the best way to build a real team spirit.

Team Building Words of Encouragement

There is almost no chance of a good motivational speech would not work to uprise one’s soul! Everyone wants to feel appreciated for their work from time to time, and even a simple recognition of the effort they put into the business might be enough to motivate them. Giving feedback is a necessity for a well-conducted project, however, positive feedback is even more influential sometimes.

A good manager must have a high EQ to understand the needs of the team and supports them when it is required. Saying affirmative words to emphasize the value of the coworkers’ contribution or encourage them when they feel lost or confused in a certain step of an operation. Using internal email or making 360 feedback meetings are some of the ways of praising and recognizing colleagues publicly.

Team members collaborate better when they feel validated.

Developing Cultural and Ethical Methods

Having a certain company culture is also another way to promote team spirit. In an environment that involves constant interaction with others, sharing the same ethical values and rituals is something that connects people. Nowadays, since working places are also one part of their identity, employees are demanding and seeking more than just a salary and benefits. They want to share the same ethics with the company they work for. Thus, having an organizational code of ethics and an ethical training program to provide for employees would be efficient to shape workplace culture.

However, a culture of a company could only be established from top to the bottom. First, managers must conform to the code of ethics and then expect their team to follow them. If the managers behave responsibly and ethically, the team would embrace the spirit.

Best Way to Build Team Spirit

We gave certain tips and strategies to develop team bonds, but there are more precise ways to achieve that goal thanks to the technology. The impact of technology on team functioning within an organisation can be observed by examining the popular tools that are used by companies. There is a tool for every different task, and project management tools are one of the most useful ones among them. It is mainly used for following up on projects, distributing tasks, creating teams, and tracking the performance of the employees.

In addition to these features, project management tool such as PeerBie, allows you to communicate with each company member in private or in general. As in any social media platform, you can share a post or a photo with your colleagues, make a comment on others’ posts, and celebrate special dates. All of these qualities of the PeerBie app are designed to strengthen the communication of coworkers and create a good teamwork spirit. In other words, the use of new technologies encourages employees to work in a more satisfying and fulfilling environment.