The Collective Advantage: Getting More Done as a Team

Growing up, we all had to participate in group projects for school. Some people loved them, and others hated them. For the most part, the individuals who did not enjoy working as a group were the ones who did most of the work while others shared in the credit. Many of those students grow up to become entrepreneurs so that they can work for themselves. It can be frustrating to work harder than everyone else and not get the recognition for it. However, I think the reason why school group projects were so ineffective was because there was not a time to get to know the team before starting the work, so there was not a sense of unity.

Within the workplace environment, we often still have to work together on various projects. Businesses have an advantage over schools for setting up teams because they have the time and resources to invest in team building. Some businesses overlook the importance of team building, so they do not reap the benefits. But for those who do work to build a cohesive team, they tend to experience higher productivity, sustained motivation, and prolonged retention. When a team trusts one another, they communicate better, and they look out for one another. Each member of the team wants everyone else to be just as successful as they themselves want to be.

Our work team recently traveled out of state together to attend a conference, and we had a lot of time to discuss our hopes and aspirations for the company. Each of us brings a different perspective and unique set of skills to the team, which helps us balance out and fully develop our ideas. Having this time to focus on our own team really energized us and got us excited about the future of the company. You don’t have to travel for a conference to experience this effect, though. You can achieve great team-building results from weekly gatherings, like having a company-sponsored lunch, monthly outings, like meeting up to play minigolf, or anything else that brings people together as a group.

You do not have to discuss work during these gatherings either, and in fact, I recommend that you intentionally avoid talking about business for at least a portion of the time spent together. People need to get to know each other and relax their minds. If all you are doing is pushing an agenda with team-building activities, your employees will see that, and they will be more concerned with meeting your expectations than they will be with connecting with other members.

If you want your team to be successful, you need to invest time in their group development. You cannot just throw a bunch of random individuals together and send them on their way. Working at the same company does not mean they will work great together. Each group of employees goes through Bruce Tuckman’s 5 Stages of Team Development, which includes forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Any time there is a change in personnel, the team starts over at the forming stage, which is why you must be intentional about continuous collaboration and team building.

If your business has not been focused on developing employees as a team, I encourage you to implement regular activities that promote connection, trust, communication, and respect amongst one another. When you have a team that works well together, you have a collective advantage over other businesses, and you can get more done.

-Meghan Slaughter