We have heard so much about the notion of team spirit that we can begin to turn our noses up at it. When we’ve got employees staggered around the business doing individual duties, it doesn’t feel like a cohesive unit. Turning employees into a team means taking the time but also remembering to keep up the morale. What are the best ways to ensure that your employees become a fully-fledged team?

Provide Mini Morale Boosters

It all depends on the type of leader you are. If you are someone who likes to give them a pat on the back and tell them they are valued you could go one step further and make this team spirit a fundamental aspect of the company’s culture. Some people like the idea of little certificates to show an employee they have done a job well. But you could go one step further and use something like medals like the ones made by Challenge Coins Limited so people feel almost like a military unit. Of course, there’s also nothing wrong with a gracious “thank you” and telling employees just how much they mean to you.

Providing a Clear Vision

When employees feel like individual units it’s hardly a surprise that they don’t understand the bigger picture. It’s your responsibility to provide clarity in terms of vision. This doesn’t just help your employees to work towards that goal but it gives them a greater understanding of what they are doing to benefit the business. If people feel disposable it is hardly a surprise that they lose faith or motivation. As soon as you begin to provide a clear vision for every member of the team you are giving an adequate foundation for them to thrive. After all, nobody wants to feel like they are lining your pockets.

The R-Word

Improving relationships within the work environment is to do with putting the foundations in place but it’s also about giving it the time it deserves. Learning to build a great relationship does take time and this is something that we’ve all got to invest in. We can get distracted by targets or deadlines that we don’t focus on the people that matter. But when we start to focus on the people and listen to them, only then can we begin to create an environment where people feel supported. It sounds very simple but you’d be surprised how many people don’t feel that their needs are listened to and there are even some companies that actively discourage employees from talking to each other, which doesn’t deliver better customer service in the slightest! This is something we’ve got to get rid of as soon as possible.

The idea of team unity becomes such an important part of a business that we have to prioritize it if we haven’t already. We’ve got to get into the spirit of things. And as a company grows you start to figure out where your strengths lie but also realize how you can help your employees to collaborate and do better work. It all begins with treating your employees like they are a unit.