Is your employee team happy?

Theoretically, the atmosphere at work is not the most important thing, and earnings count more than the likes or dislikes inside the department. In practice, it is one of the most important factors influencing every aspect of the company's day-to-day operations. Are you sure your employee team is happy?

Anyone who has ever been part of a harmonious team knows this feeling very well. Support and kindness from colleagues and conversations that are not limited to work only - many people have spent their entire lives in one company only for this reason. Is it possible to somehow plan a positive atmosphere at work? To some extent, this is an elusive art, but you can of course help your luck by using proven tools to build a harmonious team of employees. 

What should characterize a well-coordinated work team? 

A well-coordinated work team is primarily one whose members know how to communicate with each other. Entire volumes have been written about communication at work, but there are a few factors that should be briefly mentioned: 

• respect - team members are not afraid of being ridiculed or humiliated when they express their opinion; 
• impact on reality - communication makes sense, because sometimes the boss takes into account the opinions of employees; 
• freedom - the work team is not afraid to express certain views in front of the boss; does not need to self-censor. 

All these rules apply to both the relationship with the boss and how the work team communicates with each other. The figure of the leader who is at the head of the group is also quite important. Although it may be that the team will unite against a difficult boss and thus build positive relationships, a model in which the boss gives an example of how to communicate positively or set goals is rather recommended. Internal communication to some extent it also influences the image of the company outside, and this, after all, also translates into results. 

Creating a well-coordinated team of employees 

Marcus McNiell is a copywriter who created the Magic agency from scratch, and then in just a few years he expanded his team to several dozen people. Being a guest on one of the podcasts, he stated that if he started again, he would start by hiring the best HR specialists. This would allow him to concentrate on building the best possible team, which, in his opinion, is the greatest value for the company. The pandemic times have shown the rightness of this approach. It turned out that a dedicated team of employees can guarantee its survival even in very difficult times. If the company goes into a bad time with random people on board, the workforce will start to crumble or take advantage of the plight.  

Before starting the recruitment process, it is worth asking yourself the following questions: 

• what is most important to me at work? - non-negotiable values 
• what kind of relationships would i like to create in the team? - family values count, or maybe constant competition? 
• What values are not important to me? - it is worth communicating this to potential employees in the form of the company's advantages (e.g. free working hours, no dress code e.t.c.) 
• what competences do i look for in people? - these do not have to be features that you have, on the contrary - you can choose people who will complement you. 

Regardless of whether you have the HR department or you recruit yourself, thanks to these questions and answers you can consciously shape the team. You can also choose the appropriate employee selection methods that will help you achieve the right goal. 

Kinds of relations in the team and the organizational culture of the company 

Some bosses do not even know that they can adopt a specific model and shape relationships in the team based on it. The basis should be a consciously planned organizational culture. We have already written about this concept, coined in the post-war years by Elliott Jaques.  

In short, it was about equal and fair pay, appropriate relationships, a clear division of responsibilities, the ability to influence the shape of the company and correctly formulated goals. In such a model, the relations in the team should develop harmoniously. It is possible, however, that in your company you have adopted one of the most ruthless models of hiring and selecting employees, e.g. the SITA model. People who feel pressure all the time and are aware of the possibility of dismissal will not focus either on a friendly approach to their colleagues or on proposing new solutions in the company.

Sometimes marketers adopt the assumptions of business courses in the company's organizational culture and are not aware of their impact on the relationships in the team. One of such dead ends may be the SITA model (unless you care about constant tension and competition at work). 

The most common problems in the employee team 

The problems faced by the workforce can be identified through the questionnaires. Provided they are anonymous and conducted in an atmosphere conducive to confession, of course. A boss who is able to accept honest criticism can learn a lot only with such simple tools. Sometimes the situation is so tense that it is needed internal audit run by an external company. Someone who is too close to a problem cannot see it and solve it. 

Problems in the workforce may be individual or general. General ones are related to the requirements that the boss imposes on everyone, too low wages, the inability to implement their ideas. Individual problems are the rarer situation where one of the pieces of the employee's puzzle does not match the others. There may be times when a great employee is not suitable for a particular type of company. It happens that an unhappy person stirs up the whole team and spoils the atmosphere. It happens that the atmosphere can be repaired with the right motivation and other skillful tools. Situations where the only solution is to dismiss a person are relatively rare and are rather used when other mechanisms have failed. 

These problems can be largely eliminated through training. It is mainly about shaping soft competences in the team, as well as training yourself in terms of clearly formulating goals or management. You don't know what kind of training you need? Or maybe you are unfamiliar with the concept employer branding and would you like to change it before you start creating a well-coordinated work team? Get in touch with usand we will change it together! 

How to deal with problems in the employee team?

Problems have always been and, unfortunately, will continue to arise. You can't avoid them, even if you think you've managed to create the best team in the world. Instead of focusing on how to prevent them, it's better to learn to deal with them. HR specialists have several proven methods that they use on a daily basis and it is worth learning about them in order to be able to implement in the company.

The first step is to create an environment that is conducive to collaboration. Everyone on the team should be aware that individual expectations cannot be put above the needs of other employees. You must also remember that a team is made up of a group of people, so when setting boundaries and rules, take into account the opinion of employees. First of all, they must feel good in their own company, and it will certainly be easier for them to adapt to the prevailing rules if they could participate in their co-creation.

When one of your employees makes a mistake, don't focus on finding the culprit. A much better solution is to locate the source of the problem. We all make mistakes and no one is infallible, but taking consequences against the person who committed them will not always be a good solution, because it is often not the result of employee negligence. Perhaps he lacked the knowledge to complete the task? Or he did not understand the guidelines and was afraid to ask for details at the same time? By locating the cause, you will be able to nip the problem in the bud, and by punishing an employee, you only make the exact same situation happen again in some time, only another person will make a mistake.

You can also think of problems in the context of development opportunities, especially when viewed from the point of view of conflicts. Different positions can lead to discussion, which in turn often creates an opportunity to find new solutions. Conflicts in the employee team are not the source of the problem for a conscious employer, but provide new development opportunities. Of course, this will only be possible when each party is able to conduct a substantive discussion and draw conclusions from the presented arguments.

How to integrate a team of employees?

Effective cooperation in a group requires effort - both on the part of the employer and employees. The team should act as one organism, and the better the relations between the members of the group, the greater the chance that it will be possible to create a fantastically well-coordinated team. Employee integration continues to be a controversial topic. Many companies do not want to invest in team building because it is believed that it has no real impact on the team's performance. The reality is quite different. Good relations between employees, mutual understanding of each other's advantages and disadvantages, and the ability to work in a group are the basis of the company's success.

Integration trips are a great opportunity to get to know employees better. If you plan this time well, you will easily find a person who will work as a team leader and you will understand how individual people deal with pressure. You will see the effects after the first integration. Your team will have more enthusiasm and willingness to work, and the new division of tasks and responsibilities will result in the effective implementation of new projects. It is also a great opportunity to give employees a moment of respite from their daily duties, and for you - the opportunity to learn about the individual characteristics of each person, which is difficult to notice under normal working conditions.

Team integration can take place in many different ways, but before you decide on a specific solution, think carefully about what people you employ. The main point is that everyone should have a good time. Your team will not enjoy the trip, during which they will be forced to play. If you have no idea, you can talk to employees and together decide what form of entertainment will be best for you. The following are very popular:

• all kinds of workshops,
• active trips (canoes, mountain trails),
• integration meetings where employees can come with their families - picnics, barbecues or a bonfire,
• participation in various social actions.

Managing a team of employees

Building a team is the first step to success, but the work doesn't stop there. It is not enough to choose employees, they also need to be skilfully managed. What really characterizes the team of employees?

• Mutual trust that is shared by both the leader and other team members.
• Striving for a common goal that guides all team members.
• Efficient group communication, the ability to conduct substantive discussions and exchange ideas.
• Commitment to the performance of entrusted duties.
• Creation of structures along with the appointment of leadership.
• The ability to use the knowledge and experience of each team member.

It is easy to notice that the work team is not a group of randomly gathered people. And although the people who create it are extremely important for the company, the way employees function is the result of the leader's actions. This brings us to the point where the qualities of a good leader must be mentioned. The first and one of the most important values of a leader is control. The word, although it has a bad connotation, allows you to effectively lead a team of employees. It is not about constantly looking over your shoulder, but making sure that each employee knows what their duties are and how they should perform the tasks assigned to them.

The second, no less important, feature is partnership. A good leader not only gives orders, but also commits himself to duties, provides advice and assistance, and listens to his team. We should also mention motivating employees. Continuous commitment can be achieved in two ways: praising individual employees or the entire team. It is worth using these two methods at the same time, and thanks to this, each employee will feel appreciated, which will positively affect his further involvement. A good leader also needs to know the importance of setting tasks. An employee who knows what his or her duties are will be able to do them accurately and there will be no misunderstandings in the team. Although the whole group is to achieve a specific goal, everyone must be aware of what belongs to his or her tasks as an individual.