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communicating; balancing listening and speaking; using brevity; engaging directly with many others
on the team, not just with the team leader or a select few; talking between meetings; making frequent
connections outside the team and incorporating fresh input that’s been picked up. Bottom line?
Orchestrate ways for people to interact more often, making sure everyone is involved and dialogue
keeps circulating.

8. All work and no play? Build team spirit. Even though some—including you—may resist it, social
events like parties, group charity work, activities, and outings build group cohesion. Cohesion is about
what makes you bond or stick together during good times and bad. There’s good chemistry. The team
feels it and those outside the team sense it. Chemistry can be instant, but it usually comes from
mixing together, through challenge and fun, on and off the job. Research tells us cohesive teams are
more productive too—another reason to take fun seriously. Make it easy for team members to get to
know each other as whole people. When you laugh together, it releases stress, builds trust, and
opens up ways to solve problems more creatively.

9. Losing momentum? Monitor and publicize short-term wins. Long-term goals/visions are an
important part of inspiring others, but if these are the only carrots, progress toward your vision will
lose traction. You need momentum, and you can create momentum by recognizing short-term
progress and making it visible. Lessons learned through hardship are also wins if you make “failing
forward” part of the team’s DNA. This means talking openly about mistakes, turning them into
stepping stones toward achievement so everybody can learn.

10. Have virtual team challenges? Keep them connected and motivated. Virtual teams are
everywhere now. A sense of isolation and maintaining morale are common challenges, so dial up on
tactics to stay well connected. Frontload face-to-face time when possible. Schedule frequent
conference calls. Leverage multiple technologies (videoconferencing, groupware, etc.). If dispersed
members dial in to large meetings, be sure to interact with them. Schedule off-line one-on-one
contact for deeper conversations, mindful that e-mail and texting are the least effective forms of
communication for virtual teams. Be extra sensitive to cultural differences or language barriers—
things may be misconstrued when there isn’t a way to decipher non-verbals and check for
understanding. Create an expertise directory or webpage to showcase the diverse capabilities of the
team. Include non-work aspects, such as the person’s hobbies or interests, to strengthen bonds.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Llopis, G. (2013, September 23). 6 Ways to make your leadership and workplace fun again. Forbes.
Moran, G. (2013, March 13). 3 Ingredients for building effective teams. Entrepreneur.

11. Tension brewing? Strengthen trust through mutual accountability. Trust is the foundation of
effective teams. You need to know you can rely on each other to follow through. When that doesn’t
happen and trust begins to erode, the antidote is candid conversation. Team members—not just the
leader—need to let each other know when they’ve been let down. Describe the consequences when
someone doesn’t deliver. Call each other on actions that seem counterproductive. Clarify
expectations and agree on productive next steps. You’ll know that trust is strengthened when people
admit shortcomings and ask for help before their teammates mention it.
© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

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