Strategies for Building a Productive Team

As a manager, it's up to you to get your team performing to their fullest potential. Whether you've inherited a team that's been together for years or are building a new one from scratch, you can establish an environment of dedication and achievement. Here are six things you can do to build a productive team.

1. Grow the goals with your team. Create a culture of performance by setting goals and holding your employees accountable for regularly reporting on their progress. That means you have this regular evaluation of their goals, and you can decide whether any adjustments need to be made regarding the steps they're taking to accomplish them. 
2. Focus on results and productivity, not on the time clock. Set clear goals that you know should take your employees the amount of time to work, and give them that freedom to accomplish those goals. Of course they should show up on time for important meetings, and be available during the team’s general work hours, but they should also not be required to stay late every day. Provide them with the tools to work remotely when possible and let them manage their own time. It sends the message that you trust your employees. If you've got people that you trust, they will live up to that opportunity.
3. Align tasks with their talents. This is especially true if you take over management of a team that is already in place. Take stock of all the talents you have on the team. Maybe reshuffle the deck if it means that your team has a better chance of success. Be sure to talk to your team before making such a change. Don't keep people in a job role just because they've been doing it for a long time if you truly think their talents are better suited and could make a bigger contribution in another role. Employees might be a little reluctant at first to move in cases like this, you may need to work hard to convince them that the change could be in their best interest as well the best interests of the company.  

    

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4. Give your team opportunities to grow. No one wants to feel stagnant. Let your employees know that you encourage them to grow personally and professionally. Perhaps there’s continuing education courses they can take that will help them bring a new dynamic to their role. Perhaps there’s a role in another area of the company they’re interested in. Show your employees that they can feel comfortable trying to improve.
5. Trust your people and let them know they’re trusted. True transparency is very powerful, and trust will gain creative solutions in decision making. It’s on you to create an atmosphere that fosters and encourages that kind of creativity. Trust does this. One of the best things you can do is to let your employee now that you trust them and that you have faith in your ability to do the job, solve the problem and/or meet deadlines without your intervention.  
6. Don't provide all the answers. Make your employees think. You're a manager, but that does not mean that you have the monopoly on all the good ideas. If your employees are hesitant to make decisions without asking your opinion first, you may not have properly empowered them. If your employees aren't making enough of their own decisions, you might need to change your tactics. When they present you with information and ask you what to do, push the ball back, ask them "what do you think?" They might be surprised at first but after you do it several times, they will start thinking it through before they come to you so that they are fully prepared to discuss the matter and make a recommendation.

Remember, nothing happens overnight. Implementing these strategies and changes to the status quo will take time, but if you allow your team some room to gel with your vision, you'll have a team that enjoys their work and working for you.