We’ve recently touched on some of the challenges workplaces face today in terms of maintaining productivity in a climate where different working styles need to be acknowledged. But ensuring team productivity doesn’t always necessarily lead to good levels of synergy. So, how do you maintain a sense of team in today’s workplace?
Engage colleagues in the business
As we discussed in our blog on improving internal communication via video, employee engagement is critical to your business’ success and, ultimately, your bottom line. For employees that don’t understand their role within the wider organization, just 23% will aim to work for business success – because, well, why should they care?
Consider how your executive team usually communicate updates or change and think about how this involves your wider teams. The key to employee engagement is not just showing colleagues what their role means in the bigger picture, but actively including and engaging by opening a two-way dialogue that enables direct interaction at all levels. If this isn’t physically possible because of multiple working locations, consider how you can utilize digital engagement solutions for interaction that is collaborative and meaningful. By fostering a better culture of collaboration across your company, you’ll notice a greater sense of participation and teamwork within teams and as a whole.
Keep communicating
One of the biggest risks in the modern work environment is that we can become too bogged down in the digital shortcuts that were designed to increase productivity. Is your office prone to email overload? Are your team channels clogged with queries that could have been quickly resolved face to face or over the phone?
Not only can some of these communications channels create barriers in understanding tone, we don’t always realize the effects they have on cohesion. As we discussed in the first point on engaging your teams, considering the way you communicate at all levels has a great effect on productivity and cohesion. The solution comes down to balance and recognizing where and when direct communication has its place alongside other channels.
The difference that unified communications can bring to your organization is exactly this balance, integrating collaboration tools with the power of real, human connection for smarter, stronger engagement – wherever your teams may be.
Share successes
Another powerful way of nurturing improved team engagement is by creating a positive culture within your team that centres on celebrating successes of all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t need to be shared formally; rather, acknowledging accomplishments and hard work in a regular and natural way can help to stimulate similar sharing behaviour in others and encourage an environment where team members are confident in celebrating each other’s success, as well as their own, and contributing ideas to the team.
Are you looking for advice on maintaining a strong sense of team whilst your company goes through a period of change or upscaling? Our team are passionate in providing unified communications solutions that are impactful and meaningful, without losing out on human collaboration.
