Team Building: How to develop collective effectiveness

Team spirit and teamwork are the engines of growth and strength in the best companies.

Although the role of the founding team and management is extremely important (especially at the beginning), the team spirit of all employees is the pillar of its growth.

But in this development there are pitfalls to avoid, objectives to set, a spirit of belonging to develop and a whole process to follow. So let's look at all these issues in this article.

Moving from loneliness to bonding

Open spaces, ideal places for collaboration?

For a long time, we have thought that open spaces were the solution to bring employees together and strengthen teams. But in practice, this doesn't necessarily have to be the case. How many employees have to work with noise-canceling headphones in order to concentrate (avoiding someone talking to them)?

Open spaces are not necessarily conducive to corporate team building or creating collaboration among workers.

They can be if they are well managed and organized in a way that allows for both hard work and collaboration. It's not always easy. Especially in limited spaces.

Creating links to improve team spirit in the company

The role of the company (through its directors and managers) is, among other things, to use "pretexts" to bring employees together and unite them.

What are these? Simply put, more or less professional events (from seminars to afterwork), creative and attractive contests where you have to work as a team to win, or joint projects where the stakes are high, which encourage people to work side by side.

Creating links is a mission that requires real reflection followed by concrete action. It is not as simple as it seems and it is not always enough to set up a ping-pong table.

Fostering connection

Team spirit in companies and collective efficiency are based on the connection between individuals. This connection is above all human... but it is also digital.

Internal communication tools such as Teams, Slack, Zoom and Trello are good allies to achieve this goal. 

A specific layout of the office, habits and rituals that favor exchanges... all this favors the rapprochement of employees, creating synergies.

Promoting team spirit in companies with common and ambitious objectives.

Trials and successes bring people together

Collective efficiency also needs fuel to function. And what better fuel than success? Let's celebrate the small victories together.

Even trials, difficult moments and crises can be good opportunities to develop team cohesion. In adversity, human bonds are strengthened.

So take advantage of every moment, no matter how difficult or joyful, to boost team spirit in your company. To do this, there is nothing like setting ambitious goals that require a high level of collective efficiency and team spirit to achieve.

The importance of the leader

The leader is a key figure whose mission is to maintain team spirit within a team.

More than maintaining team spirit in the company, leaders must inspire the short-, medium- and long-term vision of the team: its objectives, its missions, what it will bring them...

It is from him that team spirit spreads. Without the will to unite around a common and ambitious vision, it is difficult to generate emulation in others.

Define roles, communicate effectively and cultivate a healthy environment.

Team spirit in the company means optimal organization. Otherwise, it is difficult to work together properly and therefore to cultivate good collective efficiency.

So focus on defining roles: who does what, in what area and with whom. Then, in terms of communication: no one should be left out, focus on a horizontal flow of information (within the limits of confidentiality). Finally, the atmosphere: this is what many talents are looking for, a fun, friendly and attentive environment.

The spirit of belonging

Cultivating a sense of belonging to the company

Without necessarily going into sociology, the cohesion of a group is crucial for the development, progress and success of each of its members.

In a company, employees form a social group. If they don't feel united under the same flag, driving the same machine and linking the same chain, what about collective efficiency?

The success of a company depends on the quality of its offer, its marketing, its actions... but who is at the origin of it, if not women and men?

By proudly wearing the same shield, employees who feel they fully and willingly belong to their company are more productive. Stronger. Happier.

And, above all, they relate to each other better, because they share this feeling of belonging.

Foster team spirit as part of the same body.

A team working as one is the key to moving forward quickly and effectively. Brainstorming is the best illustration of this. For it is not only the sum of individual ideas, but also the emergence of new ideas born from collective thinking.

So get your people together. Make them want to be one with the company, the brand and your team.

Your team must function as... a team, it's all in the name. A company is not the sum of its employees, their talents or their skills. Emulation, collective efficiency and team spirit in the company are very valuable.

In addition, to better understand how your employees feel about the prevailing team spirit, why not ask them directly and simply?