Working on a group project, be it in college or in an office, means getting along with people of different temperaments. When various people are assigned to come together to create something or reach an end goal, there has to be a strategy for it. Working with a team can be difficult, especially if some members of the team are not-so-easy to work with. If you’re the manager who has to work with some people for a certain project, you have to plan things accordingly.
What should you do before you begin work?
Let’s say that you’re working on a brand new promotional activity for your company’s product and you’ve assembled a team for it. What are the first steps that you should take?
- Strategize beforehand
- Know your team members’ strengths and weaknesses
- Assign and divide work accordingly
Once the process is set in motion, give your coworkers space to plan and organise the matters assigned to them. Provide guidance whenever they need it because it will only help the final outcome. Communication is key. Provide your team members all the necessary data, information and resources which will enhance their work quality hence improving the final product.
To help you further, here are 6 ways you can handle and manage team projects –
Discuss end goals
Make your company’s goals clear to every member so that everyone is on the same page. Communicate to the team that the company must reach these goals by a specified time period and that they have to give it their best efforts.
Take opinions & suggestions
Every member is equally valuable to the team. Take suggestions from them for ways to improve the product or ways to promote a product. You might just come across a brilliant idea.
Set targets
Set short term targets and conduct meetings to see if those targets are being achieved. If not, find out why. Problem-solving is important at this stage.
Manage conflicts and problems coolly
When people having different mindsets, opinions, suggestions come together, conflict is bound to arise. Make sure that anger doesn’t take a hold of you. Stay cool and discuss facts about what works and what doesn’t work. Anger will not take you anywhere, whereas a cool mind is able to think clearly.
Motivate & create team spirit
Even if things aren’t going your way, keep inspiring and motivating your team. Keep reminding them about their strengths and telling them that your expectations are high. When high expectations are attached, ambitious people work harder to reach those expectations. Compliment your team members when they do something incredible. Keep the overall atmosphere positive and uplifting.
Practice mutual respect
If you don’t respect your team members, they won’t respect you, it’s that simple. When an employee or a colleague feels respected, they put more effort and heart into their work. Practising mutual respect spreads good vibes around the workplace and keeps every member’s spirits high.
Building and managing a team is not easy. It requires a lot of strategic planning, involves a lot of stress and risk, and even needs anger management. But it’s all fruitful in the end. If you have more ideas and tips for managing teams, please share them in the comments!
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Individuals alone, cannot easily make decisions single-handedly or carry out tasks. It might seem counter-intuitive, but individuals do thrive through a team.