1. Teamwork – learning from everyone

For all small to medium businesses, effective teamwork is a crucial factor in determining the success of any business venture. As goes without saying, strength in diversity makes it important to put together a team of various backgrounds and levels of experience. Tapping into each individual’s strengths is not so straightforward, although it is key to getting the most out of teamwork. Sometimes, it takes a bit of time and training to identify the unique strengths in individuals, but it’s a skill worth learning.

Each of your team members may have a unique skill set to offer. Cultivating a knowledge-sharing and learning environment within the team will not only promote free ongoing professional development, but also improve the confidence of individuals, resulting in a win-win situation for everyone.

Remember that you can always learn something important from anyone.

2. Good communication – more than just a cup of coffee

Communicating well is not just about a chat over coffee or frequent meetings – effective communication takes on different forms including verbal, written and body language. It’s crucial that the team leader(s) understand that each individual responds better to different forms of communication and learns the most effective way of conveying an important message to the team. A common mistake made by team leaders is to overlook the importance of perception, which stands between a well-received message versus totally misinterpreted information.

Keeping the communication lines open at all times will encourage team members to voice out their opinions without having to wait for formal, structured meetings. This will ensure that all good prospects, regardless of their source, are effectively turned into successful ideas and ventures, boosting the bottom line of the business.

3. Harmless workplace gossip? Think again!

Gossip risks sacrificing valuable team efficiency and may very likely compromise team morale. A cohesive team thrives more efficiently within a healthy, positive environment where nobody is singled out.

If you feel the urge to gossip, put yourself in the other person’s shoes and think about how you would feel if someone spread rumours that may only be half true or entirely false. This is especially important for leaders in a business – your team members, directly or subconsciously, see you as a workplace behavioural role model, so everything you do may be mirrored in your staff. The “happy big family” approach to building a business team is the secret recipe for creating a lasting sense of belonging that will add to job satisfaction. This will greatly improve employee retention while reducing the outflow of talent.