When working with teams on a project, it is critical that the team is cohesive. The team must understand that each person is a part of the body and that one member of that body being affected, ultimately affects the whole. This shows us the importance of having loyalty and unity within the group. Lets be honest; its not always easy working with everyone and sometimes one can really be effective on their own.
Many times it takes a great team of people to do something extraordinarily great. Here a few tips you can use immediately to build unity and loyalty within your team.
Lead By Example
This is key in building both loyalty and unity. Your team is watching you. Just as a child absorbs the actions and attitudes of the parent, so do your team members look to you to influence their behavior and attitudes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Ramsey once said, if you want friends, you have to be a friend. The same principle holds true with loyalty. If you want loyalty, you must be loyal. In other words, if you want your team to be loyal to you and to each other, you must be loyal to them. Too often do project managers and leaders expect their team members to be loyal to their cause when the organization hasnt been loyal to them.
You can show your loyalty in different ways. Let them know that if they mess up, you still have their back. If an unfortunate event happens in their life, be there for them. Acts like these are what allow your team members to be there when you fall short and really need them to go beyond the usual. This not only benefits the team for when you need over-the-top things done, but it will reflect in your everyday task. When team members feel that they are a part of a loyal group, they will want to contribute to that group with loyalty of their own. If you want loyalty, give it.
Lead With Integrity
This is huge. The same concept of the child observing the parent holds true in this case as well. As humans, we just cant stand fake people. Would you want to work with a fake person? You know, someone that is one way in certain situations, but another way in others? This is the very opposite of integrity. Integrity comes from the root word of integer. If you remember in elementary school, we learned that an integer is a whole number. So is one who has integrity is a whole person, or the same all around. They are consistent in all they do and just cant help it because thats just who they are.
So must you be as a leader and project manager. You must be whole all the way around. Your team members should see something in you that inspires them to imitate that integrity. When you and your team have integrity, this will build a culture of loyalty and unity because you can really engage each other in deeper, more meaningful ways. This will reflect positively in your outcomes and bottom line.
Know the Importance of Synergy
Synergy is one of my favorite topics. The concept itself is so simply yet profound. Heres an illustration. A Belgian horse is one of the largest and strongest horses in the world. One Belgian horse can pull eight thousand pounds. Yes, eight thousand! So how much could two Belgian horses pull together? Sixteen thousand, right? Not exactly. Although one Belgian horse can pull eight thousand pounds, together, two Belgian horses can pull up to twenty to twenty four thousand pounds. Crazy, right? Well thats synergy.
Synergy is simply two resources working together to produce a result greater than simply the output of one plus the output of the other. So one plus one doesnt equal two. One plus one can equal three, four, or even five. That is what makes the concept of synergy so profound. You can use this same concept in your team. Imagine what unity, loyalty, and cohesiveness could do to your teams productivity. Instead of spreading everyone out pulling eight thousand pounds by themselves, in many cases you can have them work together to produce an outcome greater than either one of them could have ever accomplished separately. Use synergy if you dare to put your teams productivity on steroids.
Well, there you have it! By implementing these three tips immediately, you can begin to see results like no other. You would be amazed at the impact one person can have on the productivity of others. The greatest change within a team starts with the leader. By you leading with loyalty, integrity, and promoting unity, your team could provide you and your clients with serious dividends.
What are some things that have proven helpful in getting your team together?
Author:
Mike Calloway is the founder of Trinity Digital, a digital marketing firm in Washington, DC that specializes in communications and web design. He loves making music, gaining wisdom, and helping others.
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