Creating Cohesive Teams
In the business world, we often use the word team casually, saying things like, “Let's work as a team” or “We’re a solid team here.” However, simply referring to a group as a team doesn’t mean it will function effectively as such.
We frequently think of team as a noun that identifies a group, but it’s important to recognize that team can also function as a verb. Teaming—the act of working cohesively and collaboratively—is what makes a group effective. While bringing individuals together as a team (noun) is a good start, it’s when they team together (verb) that true effectiveness begins to take shape.
For Supervisors, teaming involves establishing trust in everyday interactions and ensuring clear communication among team members. By encouraging collaboration and supporting team goals, you help individuals connect their efforts toward shared success. Day-to-day actions under your guidance form the backbone of an effective and cohesive team.
So, what does it take for a team to truly team effectively? There are three key elements that help leaders promote a cohesive and collaborative environment: creating a space for open communication, building mutual respect, and championing a shared sense of unity and purpose. Cohesive teams are built on shared goals, trust, open communication, accountability, collaboration, and mutual respect.
“The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side.”
Self-Assessment:
Creating Cohesive Teams
Please take a few moments to contemplate the following self-reflection questions. Where can you identify opportunities for personal growth in your leadership approach?
1. Do I actively work to create a safe environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas?
2. Do I encourage team members to collaborate and leverage each other’s strengths?
3. Do I invite input from all team members, including quieter voices?
4. Do I address disrespectful or unprofessional behavior when it occurs?
5. Do I set aside time for team members to openly discuss their challenges and successes?
6. Do I give constructive feedback aimed at improvement rather than criticism?
7. Do I actively listen to team members’ concerns and respond thoughtfully?
8. Does my team effectively resolve conflict in a way that strengthens relationships and promotes collaboration?
Remember, this self-assessment is just a starting point for understanding your knowledge of Creating Cohesive Teams as a leader. It's essential to reflect on your responses and actively work on areas where improvement is needed. Additionally, seeking feedback from others and working with your ECFL Leadership Coach can provide valuable insights into your emotional intelligence strengths and weaknesses.
Let’s begin our study into creating cohesive teams by examining open communication. An environment of open communication in the workplace starts with a genuine commitment to transparency and inclusion. This means creating a space where people share ideas and information openly, without hesitation or fear of judgment. Team members feel comfortable and confident speaking their mind, knowing that their contributions will be valued and respected. This approach strengthens team bonds and drives innovation, making it an integral part of workplace culture.
As a leader, there are several things you can do to encourage open communication within your team:
Establish clear communication channels: Ensure that team members know how and where to share their thoughts, such as regular meetings, shared platforms, or informal check-ins.
Embrace diverse perspectives: Encourage team members to share their unique viewpoints and experiences, and create an environment where differences are seen as strengths.
Encourage regular dialogue: Facilitate ongoing conversations, both directly with you and among team members, to build trust and strengthen collaboration.
Regular check-ins, constructive feedback, and positive reinforcement help maintain openness, while “open-door” meetings—where every team member is encouraged to share insights—actively support an environment of collaboration.
How are you creating a path to open communication?
“The best team is not the team with the best players, but the team that plays best together.”
Our next focus in creating cohesive teams is mutual respect. Mutual respect is the foundation of any cohesive team, building trust and understanding that makes team members feel valued and understood. In such an environment, people feel empowered to share ideas freely, listen attentively, and work through differences constructively.
Mutual respect also reduces conflicts, as individuals are more likely to approach disagreements with empathy and a willingness to find common ground. By acknowledging and appreciating each person’s unique skills and perspectives, mutual respect strengthens the team's collective effort and enables diverse individuals to work together as a unified, stronger, and more effective whole.
Are you seeing evidence that your team shares mutual respect? What are you doing to build respect across your team?
Remember, you can encourage mutual respect within your team by modeling respectful behavior in every interaction—listening actively, showing appreciation for each team member’s contributions, and ensuring that everyone feels heard. Set clear expectations for collaboration to create an atmosphere of inclusivity, where diverse perspectives are recognized as strengths. Highlighting and celebrating these differences can remind your team of the unique value each person brings. By being consistent with your actions, you can build a culture of mutual respect that strengthens your team’s cohesiveness and effectiveness.
Seven Steps to Building a Great Team
1. Give people the opportunity to do what they do best
2. The most effective teams trust one another to deliver quality work. They share a common definition of quality and talk about quality as a fundamental value of the team.
3. Create an opportunity for employees to work on a project together so that they can each do what they do best. This can help them develop closer relationships. As they find better ways to work together, their insights into partnerships lead to enhanced trust and stronger relationships across the whole team over time.
4. Set goals for your team that align with the overall mission, purpose, and vision of the organization.
5. Lead open discussions about recent problems your team has faced. Talk about what went wrong, but focus more on best practices for the future.
6. Identify and discuss quality with your team. Learn what quality means to them and the steps they take to maintain high-quality standards.
7. Share best practices. From research, experience, or both, share some of the best practices for teamwork in the workplace and encourage others to share theirs.
For any successful team, a shared sense of unity and purpose is essential. When team members feel connected by a common goal, they become more motivated, supportive, and resilient in the face of challenges. As a leader, it’s crucial for you to champion this spirit, ensuring that each person sees themselves as a valued contributor to the team’s overall mission. By cultivating this collective mindset, you can transform a group of individuals into a cohesive unit that is greater than the sum of its parts. The following story illustrates how a team’s cohesiveness can make all the difference in reaching their goals and overcoming obstacles together.
"The Puzzle of Cohesiveness"
In the bustling world of Hooli, an ambitious tech company, a crucial project was underway. The company had been tasked with developing an advanced communication app for emergency responders—a contract that could transform their reputation. However, as deadlines drew closer, a series of conflicts began to fracture the project team, threatening the mission's success.
The team was made up of experts: Ava, a brilliant programmer; James, a meticulous designer; Carlos, an insightful data analyst; and Priya, a project manager with a gift for strategy. Each of them was deeply talented but had a distinct approach to their work. Ava liked to jump straight into coding, while James wanted to start with design discussions. Carlos needed clear data before making decisions, and Priya believed in letting ideas evolve organically.
As they worked on the app, small disagreements snowballed. The team’s efforts began to feel like assembling a puzzle with pieces that didn’t fit. Ava grew frustrated by last-minute design changes, James felt his designs were undervalued, and Carlos believed his insights were ignored. Tensions grew, and their productivity suffered. Priya watched her team unravel, sensing that without intervention, the entire project was at risk.
Recognizing the importance of unity, Priya called for a team meeting, but this time, the focus was different. She began by sharing an analogy about mountain climbing, likening each role to different tools needed for a successful ascent. A rope without hooks couldn’t help anyone scale a mountain, and a climber without an anchor would drift away. Each role was essential, but only if they were connected.
Then, she encouraged each member to share not only their frustrations but also their aspirations for the project. Ava revealed that she feared being left out of critical design decisions, which impacted her coding. James explained that his focus on design wasn’t about ego—it was about ensuring the app felt intuitive in high-stress situations. Carlos, too, shared his desire for data-informed decisions to ensure functionality met real-world needs.
As they shared, Priya began to see how each person’s goals, while seemingly different, converged on the same purpose: creating a life-saving tool. She suggested they establish a daily stand-up to quickly align and resolve any misalignments, fostering an environment where each team member felt heard and valued. They also agreed on rotating “idea hosts” for meetings, letting each team member guide discussions to promote diverse insights and mutual respect.
The change was almost immediate. As the team started collaborating more openly and understanding each other’s perspectives, they worked with newfound energy and purpose. Ava’s code, now informed by James’s designs, was both functional and beautiful. Carlos’s data insights led to groundbreaking features, and Priya’s guidance ensured that every piece fit together seamlessly.
When Hooli finally presented the app, the client was astounded. The app was intuitive, efficient, and effective, exactly what the client needed. But more importantly, the team had grown into a cohesive unit, ready to tackle any challenge together.
In the end, Hooli’s success wasn’t just about the app—it was about understanding that a team’s strength lies in its unity. They learned that when talents are aligned with a common purpose, and everyone feels valued and heard, the impossible becomes achievable.
The lesson here is that true transformation occurs when individual strengths come together with a collective sense of unity and purpose.
A cohesive team doesn’t just complete projects; it elevates each member’s strengths, creating outcomes greater than the sum of their parts.
Reflection Questions:
- Reflecting on Priya’s leadership, what qualities made her intervention successful, and how can they be applied to your own leadership approach?
- What does this story teach about the importance of aligning personal goals with a shared team purpose?
As a Supervisor, creating cohesion involves focusing on trust and mutual respect during everyday interactions. Promoting clear communication and encouraging teamwork ensures that team members feel connected to both their goals and each other. This consistent emphasis on collaboration enables your team to achieve shared success efficiently and effectively.
Here are some best practices to guide you:
Clarify Your Team’s Purpose and Goals
Make sure your team members understand and align with the team’s mission, purpose, and objectives.
Steps You Can Take:
Clearly communicate the team’s goals, mission, and vision.
Involve team members in goal-setting, allowing them to have input, which promotes feelings of ownership.
Regularly revisit goals to keep them top of mind and adjust them as needed to stay relevant.
Make sure every member understands their role within the team and how their contributions support the overall objectives.
Encourage Open Communication
Provide open, honest, and respectful communication channels where team members feel heard, and information flows freely.
Steps You Can Take:
Set up regular check-ins and team meetings to encourage dialogue.
Promote active listening skills and respect differing viewpoints.
Address communication issues directly and provide feedback on communication practices within the team.
Be mindful of diverse perspectives and actively seek to include different voices in discussions, which can help create a more inclusive and innovative team culture.
Build Trust and Mutual Respect
Create an environment where your team members appreciate and value each other’s skills, experiences, and perspectives, fostering a supportive and inclusive atmosphere. Remember, this starts with you modeling the behaviors that will drive these outcomes.
Steps You Can Take:
Lead by example, treating all team members with respect and acknowledging their contributions.
Encourage team members to get to know each other on a personal level to build empathy and understanding.
Address any disrespectful behavior immediately to reinforce that it won’t be tolerated in the team.
Establish norms for behavior and performance that everyone agrees to follow, such as meeting punctuality, response times, and respectful disagreement.
Create a safe environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback.
Strong teams are guided by leaders who prioritize trust, mutual respect, and open communication. At Areté, we believe that when leaders create an environment where team members feel heard and valued, they inspire unity and purpose, transforming individual efforts into collective success. Let’s continue building teams that reflect these principles and drive us toward excellence together.
Elevate your understanding of Creating Cohesive Teams by taking flight with the following resources. Use this opportunity to navigate, uncover, and expand the horizons of your leadership influence.
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