Team collaboration and the harmonious cooperation of different divisions and levels of management allow a business to reach its goals and set its sights for even larger-than-life objectives. And while it may appear overly optimistic at face value, there’s no denying that strong team cohesion within a firm enables every employee to work better, accomplish more, and produce superior results than their competitors because of the presence of unity.
However, due to the disruptive transformations that are changing the known landscape of business operations, the changes experienced in the traditional work environment now challenge the ways we normally strengthen the cohesiveness of our teams and departments. And despite the advantages provided by remote work and flexible time schedules, today’s work environment is undermining the strong bonds and professional work relationships we’ve worked so hard to build and empower.
Remote Work Environments Also Carry Drawbacks
Of course, we’re not saying that all forms of remote work have brought nothing but burden onto employees; in fact, many people enjoy the freedom to manage their time, work around the clock, and utilize their strengths as best they can. However, let’s not forget that remote work environments are not perfect, and this modality also carries many drawbacks that are hurting us more than we gain in return.
- Removes The Sense Of Belonging: Remote work is mirrored with isolation. While some would argue they can handle themselves pretty well on their own, employee visibility and actually seeing your colleagues helps strengthen team cohesion. When you are alone in your living room typing away with no one else to look at but your smartphone and laptop, this work environment removes the sense of belonging and makes it feel like you’re doing all the work by yourself. Of course, you know that’s not true, but we can’t help but feel that way when we can’t relate the effort we’re putting with fellow team members.
- Blurred Work-life Balance: People prefer going to the office because they can associate the space with hard work and cranking their creative juices to flow. Still, with the advent of remote work and everything being done at home, work-life balance has blurred to a concerning degree. Before, you would have colleagues to find solace with after a tough day, but the same can no longer be done today. And because people can’t seem to flip the switch from work to relaxation, it’s pushing people to switch careers.
Nurturing Team Cohesion Becomes Increasingly Important
Given the shortfalls mentioned above, it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to nurture team cohesion and combat the emerging challenges that undermine the strong bonds that promote work productivity. And so, to help achieve this objective, we’ve made a short checklist of things you should try to incorporate into your team operations.
#1 Practice Active Feedback And Consistent Follow-Up Meetings
Online meeting rooms and video calls limit our interaction with remote team members, but just because we are limited to the screen doesn’t mean we can’t be proactive in maintaining communication. One excellent way of staying up to date and strengthening team cohesion is through the practice of active feedback and consistent follow-up meetings on ongoing projects and plans. This will effectively cut the time spent in isolation and help retain the sense of belonging because you continue to see each other regularly, even through a screen.
#2 Provide Different Team Members Opportunities To Shine
Although its implementation may vary from one industry to the next, we strongly recommend providing different team members the opportunity to shine and lead whenever the chance arises. This will increase the amount of interaction that occurs regardless of the remote workplace and takes it to another level because you’re also challenging your colleagues to work around the drawbacks of remote work. Plus, you might even end up unlocking the potential of employees you didn’t know existed, which would ultimately help the firm and overall organization grow with another capable team member.
#3 Find Time To Celebrate Success Together
Last but not least, don’t forget to find time to celebrate success together because every milestone you reach as a group deserves ample time to address all the hard work and effort that went into accomplishing it. You’ll be surprised at how well your team members will respond to the opportunity of a celebration. It all works back into increasing their motivation and pushing them forward to achieve the same in the future. So, don’t skimp out on the chance to treat your team to a luxury corporate boat.
Strong Team Cohesiveness Enables A Firm’s Success
Overall, we want to remind everyone that team cohesion remains an important aspect of a firm’s overall success, especially today with how volatile and uncertain the markets have become. So, learn to balance everything and understand the inherent value of collaboration.
