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Boost your leadership skills and simplify teamwork with these actionable strategic steps
As a facilitator and coach, I often encounter the same issues in companies:
poor communication, conflicts, unmotivated teams, lengthy decision-making,
and a certain sluggishness. There are countless theories and models on
improving teamwork, but often, simple measures are the key to success.
I prefer a straightforward, hands-on approach because I've found it works best in practice. Sometimes we tend to complicate things, perhaps because it makes us feel more secure?!
Companies are made up of real people with needs, emotions, values, and
motivations. Many of these remain hidden and are often overlooked in many
models. If we can make these factors visible and integrate them into daily work, teamwork suddenly becomes easier and more fluid.
Speed loves clarity, so let's dive into my 7 practical steps for clarity and ease:
1. Optimize Team Communication – The Essential Foundation for Seamless
Collaboration
Issue: Did you know that we're often unaware of our preferred communication styles? The different styles within your teams can lead to frustration, conflict, delays, and avoidance behavior. Ultimately, choices, projects, clients, motivation, and the happiness of your team members suffer.
3 steps to identify each team member's preferred communication style:
Preferred method (phone, email, voice messages).
Best time of day for communication.
Establish clear company communication standards.
Understanding the communication styles of leaders, employees, and teams gives
you speed.
2. Define Clear Expectations and Role Distribution – The Backbone of Effective Teamwork
Issue: The number one stumbling block in many companies... Often, people
and teams are not 100% sure what is expected. Yet, clear expectations are the cornerstone of good teamwork. And yes, setting expectations and roles can often be challenging.
Virginia Satir said, 'Expectations are poorly formulated wishes.' So let's clearly define
our wishes with these steps:
Setting specific goals and metrics for projects and outcomes: What are the goals for the project, the expected result, daily work, and the outcome?
What results are most important?
Who is responsible for which areas?
Which deadlines and milestones do we want to establish?
How often should progress reports or feedback be provided?
Outlining specific tasks and quality standards.
3. Shared Values Act as The Compass Guiding our Hearts
Issue: Values are crucial in teamwork because they serve as fundamental
principles and beliefs that guide the behavior and interactions of each team
member. Values shape our thoughts, emotions, and actions, guiding us
subconsciously and influencing our decisions. They help us distinguish
between right and wrong.
Values aren't mostly conscious or visible, yet they influence every team. When
teams work exceptionally well together, it's often because they share a similar
understanding of values. Teams that embrace values that are personally significant to them, tend to feel more motivated and engaged, which boosts overall performance and workplace satisfaction.
How about organizing a values' workshop:
Set aside half a day with your team and have each member take a
values test, such as the one available online at www.einguterplan.de.
Discuss personal values and their importance. How do you know these values matter to you?
Identify similarities and differences.
Define and concretize which values should prevail in your team, and take the time to make these values concrete. Allow yourselves to delve deeply into the topic. Dive in and think about it. What values do you want to guide your success and happiness? How will you recognize them?
4. Embrace Personalized Work Styles is Key to Satisfaction and Productivity
Issue: Too many companies are still stuck in an industrial mindset, which
doesn't fit well with our fast-paced digital world!
The one-size-fits-all approaches don't work in today's fast-paced digital world. In some companies, responding to emails might seem more important than making significant progress on projects. Looking to the future and making progress also means questioning our work habits and being open to new possibilities. Does the 8-hour workday still make sense for knowledge workers?
I'm convinced that knowing your own work style and using it effectively for
health, longevity, and business success will be crucial in the future. Do you know how the people in your teams prefer to work? Early or late, in long or short bursts, in quiet or lively environments? All these factors affect your performance and satisfaction.
Consider the following:
Individual work preferences - early/late, long/short bursts, quiet/lively environments.
Personal definitions of work, success, and rest: What does work mean to you? What does success mean to you? What is rest or a break for you?
Preferred work locations and schedules and content-wise.
Energy management strategies: How do you recharge your energy?
5. Foster Appreciation in Daily Team Interactions
I strongly suggest reading 'The 5 Love Languages' by Gary Chapman. Gary Chapman, a marriage and relationship counselor, discovered through his extensive work that people perceive and express love and appreciation in diverse ways.
Gary Chapman describes 5 languages:
Words of Affirmation: Your coffee is delicious.
Quality Time: Let’s grab a coffee together.
Gifts: I brought you a coffee.
Acts of Service: I made you a coffee.
Physical Touch (adapted for workplace appropriateness): Let me hug you like a cup of coffee.
I deliberately mention the 5 Love Languages here because love and appreciation
are closely linked and inseparable. If you’re familiar with the 5 Love Languages, take a moment to observe how people in your teams express and receive appreciation and see what surprises you might find. By understanding how people in your teams perceive and need appreciation, you can easily adapt your leadership approach to make them feel seen and heard ❤️
6. Structured Meetings with Clear Tasks - Time-Optimized and Results Driven Team Collaboration
Problem: Meetings often feel like a 'waste of time'... no more explanation needed.
Define and agree on a clear structure and meeting rules: How can your meetings achieve the highest output in the shortest time possible?
What you need for effective meetings:
Time limits and an agenda.
Who is doing what by when?
Who communicates the results?
How are priorities set?
E.g. Rules: No agenda? No meeting! No Who, What, When? No meeting!
Biz-Hack: Try stand-up meetings or outdoor sessions for improved results.
7. Professional Handling of Conflicts – An Opportunity for Growth and Team Development
Problem: Conflicts are an uncomfortable topic for many. Most people prefer to avoid them. I want to help take away the fear of conflicts, because they can actually be treasures full of potential for growth and maturity.
Conflicts are challenging because most of us haven't learned how to handle
them well, and we often lack the skills to manage the negative emotions that arise during a conflict. Every conflict is an unmet need. Get clear on the human need behind the conflict, and the conflict dissolves with ease.
Your Solution: Create spaces for conflicts and discuss them openly. Allow team members room for personal reflection on their conflict style and how it might hinder solutions or progress, or even intensify the conflict (such as avoidance behavior). Learn to manage emotions like anger, fear and anxiety with tools like #breathwork, grounding and nervous-system-regulation.
Develop team rules and rituals to use conflicts constructively and beneficially. Being open and reflective about this topic opens up so many possibilities. Conflicts give us a fantastic chance to create clarity. From an outside perspective, I'd suggest scheduling a team day every six months, or better yet, every quarter. This way, you can work effectively and collaboratively on the seven steps mentioned earlier.
This approach encourages team accountability and maturity, strengthens relationships and belonging, and enhances psychological safety.
Implementing these 7 strategies will enhance team clarity, efficiency, and overall performance. Are you looking for some support? I’d be happy to help. Email me at mail@flobergthiel.de, and we can discuss how I can assist you.
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