How to improve working relationships in a team?
Labor relations are a determining factor in the success of a company. Good working relationships improve team effectiveness, morale and engagement.
Poor working relationships can negatively impact employee productivity and morale.
Discover in this article 8 tips on how to improve working relationships in a team and how interim management can contribute to it.
1. Improve communication
The best way to enhance team communication is to create a pleasant and relaxed work environment . Employees must be able to communicate with each other, without fear, in order to avoid conflicts or confrontational situations.
To do this, make sure that all employees are well integrated into the team, that they feel respected and valued. Listen to employees, and share with them the team’s goals.
Give them specific information about their tasks, the rules of the game and the means at their disposal to accomplish them. Employees must be able to speak up and ask questions with confidence.
This can start with regular one-to-one updates while respecting the rules of confidentiality: you can discuss everyday topics without necessarily waiting for the annual performance update.
2. Do active listening
Active listening starts with a positive attitude from the manager:
- He is attentive, does not worry about what he is going to say but about what the other is going to say,
- He lets the other speak, letting him develop his point to the end without interrupting him,
- He takes the time to think about what the other is saying and lets him speak freely;
- He is concerned about the well-being of the other, he does not seek to answer their questions but to understand them.
Active listening has several purposes:
- Know what matters to others
- Know what others mean
- Better understand the situation of others,
- Identify the difficulties and possible solutions to solve them,
- Look for solutions to the problem that is raised, propose avenues for reflection and solutions,
- Preparing for the future, anticipating and forecasting future needs,
- Establish and maintain a relationship of trust with others.
Managing a team requires human qualities. To improve working relationships in a team, it is essential for a manager to listen to his employees so that they can feel good about their company.
For this, the manager must give time to the teams concerned and show empathy.
3. Gain transparency
To gain transparency, the manager must take care to:
- Really listening to others
- Assume their responsibilities and their choices,
- Communicate clearly and regularly on the decisions taken and the reasons behind them,
- Dialogue with others to build consensus,
- Be demanding on the quality of its meetings and its reports,
- Communicate directly and concisely.
4. Create a close-knit team
This makes it possible to better mobilize its teams, to obtain more motivation and to improve working relations within a team.
To create a cohesive team, the manager must:
- Create a climate of trust,
- Involve everyone without putting them aside,
- To be loyal, honest and just,
- Have an open and positive attitude,
- Listening to others and paying special attention to people who have trouble making themselves heard,
- Rely on shared values,
- Recognize efforts and performance,
- Be demanding and clear.
A united team is a team that has confidence. It is essential to build a climate of trust so that communication can develop naturally.
Employees should be able to discuss their problems, ideas and suggestions. Their energy will remain intact to participate in the achievement of the team’s objectives.
5. Recognize efforts and performance
It may seem normal for a manager that an employee does his job. When he shows personal investment, ideas to improve the service or others, it is good to recognize the efforts and the performance.
Recognition helps to improve working relationships within a team .
To recognize efforts and performance, the manager must:
- Know the expectations of the people he supervises,
- Regularly assess their performance,
- Give positive feedback,
- Set up career management.
6. Have common goals
Common objectives increase employee motivation and create team spirit.
To have common objectives, the manager must:
- Clearly specify the objectives,
- Rely on a common and shared vision,
- Communicate priorities
- Use participation to set and monitor goals.
7. Manage conflicts and crises
A good manager must know how to manage conflicts before they happen : anticipating them improves working relations in a team.
To manage conflicts and crises , the manager must:
- Know how to recognize a conflict,
- Intelligently choose the appropriate time to intervene if necessary,
- Identify the causes,
- Find a solution,
- Take stock of the consequences
- Avoid negative reviews
- Sanction breaches of the rule.
8. Use interim management
A Transition Manager knows how to manage conflicts and is reactive for decision-making. It temporarily improves working relationships in a team.
Labor relations are part of the daily life of all companies and all employees. When these are in place, they can improve productivity and the work atmosphere and therefore working relationships in a team.
To enable your team to go through a period of growth, decline, crisis and organizational change, call on our transition management firm Reactive Executive.
