Spread the love

Working in a team is not an easy task. It is far more difficult and sometimes even complicated than working alone. You will enjoy reading this blog if you have recently started working with a team, just as I have done. Today, I am discussing how to improve your teamwork skills and use the most important resources available – humans – to your advantage.

For the longest time, I have been working on this blog and my freelancing business all alone.

However, I recently decided to scale both of these and started hiring writers.

All my life, I have been the girl who likes to take full control of every project she works on.

So, when I started my writing career, I was the sole person responsible for both my freelancing business and my blog’s progress.

But the truth is, you can only do so much alone. Also, growth and expansion require you to move beyond your comfort zone and do things you have never done before.

This is why after giving it a lot of thought, I decided to let go of my “perfection” mentality and do what was right: to build a team.

Given that I am a recovering perfectionist, working with a team has not been the easiest thing to do.

But, I have managed to not only find my way through it but also work with my team effectively.

Thriving in a team needs some amazing teamwork skills. It is one of the most sought-after qualities to thrive and succeed in any sector.

Thus, here I am helping you with 13 ways to build your teamwork skills and excel beyond your potential by getting out of your comfort zone just as I did.

Teamwork Skills 101: 13 Effective Ways to Build Them in Yourself

Teamwork provides efficiency, and bonding and improves organizational efficiency. When you have a bunch of people in your team, leading and working with them requires greater teamwork skills.

Each member of your team might have a unique strength. Effective team collaboration can bring out their expertise.

For example, all the writers in my team come with various writing interests. While I write on non-technical topics both for my blog and for my clients, the writers in my team write on a variety of topics.

This has been an advantage for me as it lets me expand my business without worrying about expert writers in a field.

In addition to this, working as a team requires mutual trust, empowerment, and shared responsibility.

They say, “Invest in people, not just results”, thus working as a team is not about managing it alone, it’s also about creating a better ecosystem for a proper workflow.

Hence, here are 13 teamwork skills that you need to acquire and implement to reap the best benefits of teamwork.

13 Ways to Build Your Teamwork Skills

1. Communication Skills

Communication is not just about giving instructions and updating progress with your team. It’s more than sharing data.

Effective communication includes effective listening. It means understanding the purpose behind the conversations and making them more fruitful.

Bad communication causes confusion, errors, and sometimes conflicts. Good communication is not only vital but also a necessary skill for teamwork.

To improve your communication with your team members here are a few things you can do:

Ask your co-workers some questions regarding their professional life. It will help you understand them better.
As a member of the team, you need to express yourself clearly at the right time when required.
At the same time make sure that you don’t over-communicate with others. This will lead to a lack of clarity and will miss out on things that need prioritization.

2. Appreciating Your Team Members

How do you feel when you are appreciated by someone? It feels good right?

After all who doesn’t love appreciation?

So why don’t you do the same thing with others?

When a team member excels, feel free to appreciate them.

This is one thing I always do. If a writer has performed well, I make it a point to appreciate them because not only does it make them happy, but it also gives a boost to their self-esteem and self-confidence.

Thus, never wait for a formal occasion to appreciate your team member. The best way to encourage people at work is to tell them they are doing right.

You should appreciate them whenever you can. It’s a great way to motivate, inspire, and engage with your team members.

It will also avoid conflicts at work while building good relationships with your teammates.

Getting appreciation will also boost their productivity and morale. Plus, it will build loyalty in every team member.

3. Accepting Varied Perspectives

When it comes to working as a team it’s quite common for people to have varied perspectives.

When team members share different perspectives, you must be open to hearing their ideas and opinions.

This will make them feel included and obviously bring fresh ideas into the team.

Sometimes the best decisions come out of varied perspectives. In my weekly sessions, I always make it a point to ask my team members about their points of view.

Discussing the pros and cons of each one of their perspectives also acts as a great way to brainstorm new ideas.

Always choose what is best for your business rather than taking an individual approach.

This process will help you to learn from other members of your team as well.

4. Delegating Tasks

As I mentioned above, there is only so much you can do alone. No one can be the jack of all trades.

Piling up the task on yourself will create a hateful mindset towards other team members in the long run.

The best part of teamwork is the advantage of sharing tasks.

But, while it seems easy, giving your team what they need to do those tasks is also a key factor.

I always divide the task by the workload and expertise of my team members.

By doing this, you are making your team more efficient and allowing each member to focus on their strengths.

For better delegation of tasks, you need clear communication.

You also need to pick the right person for the tasks. Then, make them accountable and support them.

Delegating the tasks will improve their productivity. It will also help develop your skills building better active engagement which will ultimately lead to better time management and reduced stress.

5. Taking Accountability

Team accountability is a powerful concept that goes beyond individual responsibility. It shows a shared commitment in the group.

With this quality, each member feels responsible not just for their own tasks but also for the team’s success.

Teamwork skills are the effort of every person in the team. An accountability mindset among team members will improve everyone’s performance.

Accountability lets you set clear goals and deadlines for each team member.

When someone in your team is made accountable to do a certain thing, they will feel trusted and motivated, which leads to better work efficiency.

It saves from building any conflicts among the team members. But, this doesn’t mean that accountability is just for getting things done alone.

When things go wrong, taking accountability for what has happened is equally important. This will improve your image among your team.

Mistakes happen, yet taking responsibility is a great way to build your teamwork skills.

Here are some examples of accountability skills in the workplace:

Being honest about your abilities
Immediately addressing, owning, and apologizing for your mistakes
Meeting deadlines
Setting and reaching goals
Receiving feedback

6. Building Trust

Building trust among your team is one of the most valuable teamwork skills.

Remember that it may not happen in a single day. It’s a long-term process that needs other important skills to flourish.

There is no better way to build trust with your team than leading by example. Show that you trust your team in their work.

Be open with them. Encourage them to share their thoughts and values.

Communication with a headstrong mindset without being rude, respecting others’ opinions, and handling conflicts with ease are also key factors in building trust.

These qualities create a positive impact on other team members. They can help you build trust among your team.

7. Embracing Feedback

Embracing feedback and constructive criticism are great ways to improve your teamwork skills. Instead of taking it personally, think of it as an opportunity to build your skill set.

Ask your peers and superiors to provide honest feedback about your work. Listen to their feedback, most importantly act on it. Acknowledge their efforts in providing you with the feedback.

Use it to improve yourself.

Install a culture of feedback among your team members.

Not only will it build trust among them but also this openness will build a culture of self-improvement in your business.

8. Problem-Solving Approach

From small things to big tasks, a team is bound to face issues from time to time.

The right approach is to use your problem-solving skills to guide your team through a complex project.

Find the root cause of the problem at your work. You can use techniques like mind mapping or SWOT analysis to find it.

Analyzing the problem with your team will give you better and varied solutions.

9. Embrace Technology

Technology has made it possible for people to work as a team across borders. Use the latest technology to coordinate with your team. It’s a key teamwork skill in the present work culture.

I have writers in my team from different parts of the country.

However, working from anywhere demands upskilling yourself to coordinate with your team.

You can use tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Zoom, Trello, Google Workspace, Notion, and Google Docs. They will help with communication and project management.

In my business, we rely on tools like Google Documents, Google Sheets, Google Meets, Zoom, Gmail, and WhatsApp for various uses.

These tools help you to:

Communicate clearly and fast.
Manage tasks and deadlines.
Share files and code.
Review and edit work.
Track your progress and performance.

You can choose the tools to work with based on your team’s needs.

Using these tools is an important teamwork skill to make the most of them for your business, and to adapt them to different workflows and preferences.

9. Effective Time Management

Time management is one of the most important teamwork skills you need to own.

Meeting deadlines and delivering the results on time is not everyone’s cup of tea but you have to adapt to to make things work. It will improve the team’s credibility.

For effective time management with your team, follow the time management matrix. Focus on the most urgent tasks. Make sure to share details about the work’s progress with the team.

Always set realistic goals while doing a project. Setting unrealistic goals not only causes project delays but also makes you feel less efficient.

Programs like Asana and Trello can help you track deadlines easily which helps you deliver on time.

It also reduces stress and improves your workflow. Thus, always finish a day or two before the project deadline to avoid last-minute rush.

10. Learn to be Empathetic

Have you ever been in a situation where you were speaking, but the other person was looking at your phone or ignoring you? This might make you feel unheard.

The lifeline of good teamwork is being empathetic towards the people in your team.

Simple gestures, like patting on the back and saying words like ‘Thank you’ or ‘You did a good job’, or giving a simple hug after a bad day at the office, will make them feel like a team.

Empathizing with others’ perspectives will also improve your team collaboration strategy.

This is especially true when you disagree or fight with a team member. It is important to shift your perspective and see things from their view as well.

11. Resilience and Adaptability

Every industry has changed in recent years, especially after the pandemic.

Irrespective of your field of work, resilience, and adaptability are the key teamwork skills to grow both as a team and as an individual.

Cultivating a growth mindset will allow you and your team to learn and improve.

It will help you face any kind of challenges. Thus, encourage your team regularly to share one new thing they learned or tried during the week at work.

This will promote continuous learning and openness to new ideas in the long run.

Adapting to new skills and a new environment will help your team navigate through tough times, seize opportunities, and steer your business to growth.

When it comes to being resilient, having an optimistic view of a bad situation helps you handle things better. It always lets you see the challenges you face at work as chances for growth.

12. Build Respect Among Each Other

Teammates don’t have to be best friends to get along. They have to respect each other and focus on solutions, not conflicts.

Being tolerant of others and respecting their opinions, even if you don’t personally agree with them, will help you ensure that you contribute to a peaceful and happy working environment.

If others know that you respect their thoughts and opinions, they are also more likely to be willing to work with you, listen to your ideas, and take action when the situation requires it.

Respectful team members avoid reacting badly in tough moments.

They approach disagreements openly, not with hostility. This is key for Team managers.

Disrespected staff might not want to work hard or share their ideas.

In such cases, it is important to give them helpful feedback, avoid getting emotional, and honor people’s differences.

13. Creating a Positive Work Environment

The final nail in your teamwork skills is to create positive relationships that contribute to a productive work environment.

Respect and friendship are mutual. They create satisfaction and a sense of belonging in teams.

Remember, professional networking isn’t just about growing your circle. It’s about making meaningful connections.

These connections drive personal and organizational success. It lets you embrace authenticity in your interactions, recognizing the value they hold for your career.

5 Tips to List Your Teamwork Skills on Your Resume

Now that you have learned my 13 key teamwork skills, it is important to mention them in your resume. Here are a few ways to include them in your resume:

Identify the teamwork skill you are really good at.
Make sure that they match your industry expectations.
Demonstrate a situation where you have showcased your teamwork skills.
Brief about the kind of positive impact you created using your teamwork skills.
During interviews make sure that you give relevant and unique answers with regards to your teamwork skills. This will impress the interviewer about you.

Conclusion

This was my list of the teamwork skills to help you build and cultivate an empowering work culture with your team.

By now you must be clear about the kind of teamwork skills you should possess.

Teamwork skills are one of the most important soft skills you must develop and the best way to learn is by practicing them.

Even if you love working alone there will be situations in your work, when you will need to collaborate with a team.

There is no definite rule that teamwork skills can be mastered by extroverts alone.

Even if you are an introvert, you can improve your skills by continuously working on them.

Finally, if you enjoyed reading about improving your teamwork skills, here’s another guide for you to have a reverse engineering approach to your goals.

I am sure you will enjoy learning from it.

Author’s bio:

If you are looking for well-researched, human-written blog posts, Geethanjali is the right choice. Writing both long-form and short-form content is her strong suit. She crafts engaging blog posts and can seamlessly adapt to your brand’s voice. You can reach out to her here.