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6 Steps to Build a Strong Team

By Cynthia Johnson May 23, 2016

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Using words like "power" or "success" to describe a company can sometimes make it
easy to imagine a cutthroat environment. However, a competitive workplace shouldn't
run on employees' fear or feel like a real-life Hunger Games. A powerful and successful
company operates best and with the most longevity when employees work with a team
mentality, each filling a needed role and fulfilling long-term goals. Here's what you can do
to make sure your team is as strong as it can possibly be for your company.

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 Shutterstock

1. Focus on roles.

A thorough selection process for picking your team members has greater long-term
benefits, even if this means you spend more time recruiting than you'd like to. Hiring
someone just to have bodies in the room can harm your team. Companies that do this
wind up becoming a revolving door, whether it's because prospective employees see the
role as a temporary landing pad and are less interested in learning, or because you
decide later on that they aren't the right fit. This winds up costing you more money in the
long run. Investing your time and money in people who truly specialize in the role your
company needs will have immense payoffs later.

Related: 3 Team-Building Secrets of Successful Small-Business Owners

2. Value each role.

With each team member bringing something special to the table, treating each role as an
essential part of your operation is also crucial. Each team member should feel like their
job matters, without ever asking themselves, "Why am I even here?" It's no secret that a
sense of purpose helps each employee's performance. When employees feel that their
role is undervalued or perhaps unnecessary, it can become easy to check out mentally as
work becomes mechanical and something they completely detach from as soon as the
day is over.

3. Communicate.

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The best way to demonstrate value between team members is through communication.
It's difficult to feel like you are part of a team when everybody has information that hasn't
been shared with you yet or when team members don't fill each other in on what they're
working on. Keep a level of transparency whenever possible with all team members, even
if the information doesn't directly pertain to every person on your team.

Apps like Slack are making it easier to do this without having to think about it. An open
line of communication helps your team members to share and create a more productive
workflow. Having a weekly check-in or talking beyond discussions of to-do lists can bring
great new ideas to the surface or will give someone a chance to help in an area they may
not have known about otherwise. "Developing processes and workflows that can be
quickly implemented, executed and tracked is crucial to managing your team, especially
when faced with rapid growth," according to Hiawatha Walker, Founder of
DENEKADesignCo. "This is typically the first thing I look to address so more time and
energy can be spent on the things there is little to no control over."

In the area of communication, your team should also give each member a voice. Letting
the whole team weigh in on feedback and asking for their opinion also helps them to
stay engaged and brings them closer to projects. When every team member takes the
time to evaluate a decision and form an opinion, they're attached to the outcome and
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want to know that their thoughts are considered in the process. Allowing this gives
people a feeling of ownership over their work, leading to better performance.

Related: The 10 Communication Skills Every Entrepreneur Must Master

4. Set goals.

Setting short and long-term goals with your team also becomes the foundation for every
task they set out to complete each day. Being enthusiastic about the outcome and
motivating each other with positive reinforcement will help your team members to make
sure that they work with a sense of the big picture, knowing why every task they do is
necessary for achieving a longer-term goal. It's important to note that these goals should
be realistic so that you and your team don't feel like you are working for a lost cause.
Having milestones and deadlines can give team members opportunities to help each
other out and band together for success.

5. Celebrate successes and failures.

Celebrating your successes and milestones also brings your team together and allows
everyone to see that when they work together, great things can happen. If someone does
a great job at something, give them a shout out in front of the rest of the team so that
every effort is seen and appreciated. This also helps each person to feel visible and that
what they're doing has an impact. In contrast, if your team fails at something, come
together to redirect your efforts or turn it into something positive. Don't throw anyone
under the bus or turn a damage-control discussion into a blame game. This never helps
anybody. Instead, give your team equal responsibility to put your heads together and
figure out the next steps or pivots.

Related: New chain

Forget onGoals.
Big the Take Baby Steps for Small, Daily Wins.
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6. Know each other.

You are, of course, never obligated to become best friends on a personal level with your
team members. But having a monthly outing or engaging in some offsite socializing can
give team members a chance to appreciate one another for more than just the job they
do. Getting to know the people you work with helps you understand their style of work
and how to have constructive discussions with them on tough days.

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