Strategies for creating teams in organizations

Effective cooperation between individuals in a company depends on whether they get along well with each other, are compatible with each other, had the opportunity to integrate in less formal settings and share similar values or ways of doing things (in terms of organizing their work). This situation does not change whether it is a business-oriented enterprise or a non-profit organization (from the so-called third sector).

Still, what matters most is a cohesive team that is essential to the success of an organization. To ensure just such an outcome, organizations are implementing various strategies for creating teams within organizations. Below are some of the most popular practices that can be used for this purpose.

Creating teams – why do it?

Teams are a complex structure in which individuals combine their diverse experiences, perspectives, views and hard and soft skills in pursuit of a common goal. Members complement each other, leveraging each other’s strengths (while minimizing weaknesses), resulting in better results in day-to-day operations. Thus, regardless of the industry or sector in which a company operates daily, team building plays a key role in ensuring the effectiveness and success of the organization as a whole. This is because it leads to, among other things:

• greater innovation – thanks to diversity, group members can look at problems and challenges from different perspectives, which fosters the generation of creative solutions,
• building trust – by working together, communicating and supporting each other, an atmosphere is created where employees feel they can freely share their ideas, concerns and needs. This kind of openness leads to better cooperation, more effective communication and more efficient resolution of potential problems,
• development of individuals’ soft skills – including teamwork, communication, negotiation and conflict resolution, which facilitates daily cooperation,
• fostering the well-being of individuals – in a pleasant atmosphere, which takes place when people feel comfortable with each other, each employee is characterized by greater motivation to work and commitment to their duties.

How do you create teams in organizations?

Knowing how important team building is to the success of the organization as a whole, it’s worth considering how this should be done. What’s important is that a cohesive team is not created as a one-time effort – it’s an ongoing effort of integration, communication and alignment (especially given that employees often rotate through positions). So what strategies are worth using all the time?

1. Ensure diversity among group members

Collaboration in a team provides an opportunity to take advantage of the diversity of skills, perspectives and experiences of members. When a group of people with different competencies and knowledge works together, space opens up for generating new ideas, creative thinking and innovative solutions. Diversity among employees becomes a driving force, enabling them to look at a problem from different perspectives and find optimal solutions – for this reason, it is so important to take care to bring together people with balancing qualities and skills.

2. Provide proper division of roles between individuals

For each group, individual members must know exactly what they are responsible for, what tasks constitute their duties as well as what is their importance. This will ensure that employees complement each other, rather than encroach on each other’s competencies. Tasks must be assigned in such a way as to take advantage of individuals’ strengths and skills. In this regard, it is equally important for the organization to clearly define the goals of the project or tasks so that group members have a common reference point and know what results are expected – then cooperation will be much easier and the team will be much more cohesive.

3. Build a collaborative organizational culture

Trust is a key element of an effective team. It is for this reason that emphasis should be placed on creating an atmosphere in which individuals feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions and providing support. The leader’s role in this regard is to encourage open and honest communication full of respect for the other party and to promote cooperation so that the positive effects of the actions taken become apparent – in line with the belief that the results of the team created are greater and better than the sum of individual efforts.

Team building – summary

When people with different skills, experiences, ideas and perspectives join forces to achieve common goals, the potential is almost limitless – and this is the main reason why it is worthwhile for organizations to implement effective team-building strategies. In this regard, it is undoubtedly a good idea to take the advice mentioned above. However, it is mandatory to remember that each organization has its own unique goals, organizational culture and context (as well as the needs or personalities of individual employees). The chosen strategy should therefore come tailored first and foremost to the specifications of the entity – only in this way to achieve the expected results.

If you like our content, join our busy bees community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok.