It can be a challenging task, however, to bring about this sense of unity, and to get people feeling that they are part of a wider team, rather than simply going about their individual, day-to-day jobs. Managers can attempt to achieve this cohesion by following what is known as ‘the 12 Cs’ – a series of tips designed to help care for team wellbeing.
These are:
- Clear Expectations: managers must communicate their expectations clearly to their employees, so that they know exactly what is expected of them, and also what they offer to their employees in return.
- Context: employees should understand the structure of the organisation and their place within it.
- Commitment: managers should assess how much their employees really want to be in the roles that they are in, and how they view the organisation and their place within it.
- Competence: all employees should be adequately educated, skilled and trained for the roles that they are in, and should be fully informed with the knowledge they need to complete their role.
- Charter: if a team has taken on a specific area of responsibility, they should ensure that they have clearly defined that task, including analysing the outcomes that they will be looking for and the leadership structure.
- Control: managers should make sure that team members have enough empowerment and freedom to enable them to use their skills (while remembering boundaries) to the best of their ability.
- Collaboration: team members should understand how they are supposed to work together as a group, including the roles that their managers have and the rules and codes of conduct that are part of that collaboration.
- Communication: this is absolutely key to effective team strategy and there must be a policy of honesty, openness and feedback established within any organisation.
- Creative innovation: organisations should be open to new ideas and change, and reward team members who take reasonable risks for the good of the business.
- Consequences: everyone in a place of work should understand the consequences – both good and bad – to any work that they carry out or how they conduct themselves.
- Co-ordination: all departments within an organisation should understand the work of other departments and have an idea of how they all fit together, in order to work effectively.
- Cultural Change: employers should be open to the culture of their organisation changing, in line with developments and the shape of the business future.
By observing these ’12 Cs’, managers should be able to build a strong team.