These instincts bring people together and make high performance possible. But when they\u2019re misaligned, teams struggle. Without trust, clear direction, or shared goals, progress quickly turns into repeated setbacks.<\/p>\n
So, how can you accelerate group cohesion?<\/p>\n
It starts with strong leadership. Effective leaders understand that building high-performing teams comes down to a few key principles that can drive better results, faster.<\/p>\n
Here are seven ways you can apply them:<\/p>\n
<\/span>1. Stick With Smaller Groups<\/span><\/h2>\nBigger is not always better. In fact, adding more team members can be counterproductive<\/p>\n
Psychologist and Management Professor, Jennifer Mueller, called this phenomenon \u201crelational loss\u201d in her study titled \u201cWhy Individuals in Larger Teams Perform Worse<\/a>.\u201d Relational loss happens when \u201can employee perceives that support is less available in the team as team size increases.\u201d A perceived loss of support comes from both management and teammates. As group sizes rise, it\u2019s more difficult for managers to offer individual attention.<\/p>\nAnother great example of this is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos\u2019s famous \u201ctwo pizza rule,\u201d which states that if a team can\u2019t be fed by two pizzas, then that team is too big.<\/p>\n
<\/span>2. Encourage Personal Interactions<\/span><\/h2>\nWe all need friends at work. Allies keep things interesting, provide an outlet to vent, and help us tackle our day-to-day obstacles.<\/p>\n
When putting together an elite team for a special project, it\u2019s imperative that you facilitate some team bonding<\/a>. People are more alike than different, and the difference between being strangers and pals is finding commonality.<\/p>\nBuilding camaraderie is sometimes as simple as socializing over a meal or doing a group activity together. Encourage group members to get together outside of work hours, and when at work, try incorporating some icebreaker games.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Teamwork-300x200.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/span>3. Provide Feedback & Ongoing Training<\/span><\/h2>\nTeams are only as strong as their weakest link, so it\u2019s imperative to thread performance evaluations into the fold at regular intervals. This is especially important if you\u2019re looking to improve group cohesion and achieve goals more quickly.<\/p>\n
The biggest payoff comes from ongoing one-on-ones between managers and individual contributors. Scheduling time to go over performance, provide feedback, and overcome obstacles is critical in the early stages of the project. Done correctly, this will set the tone for the project and maintain high expectations from the get-go.<\/p>\n
One-on-one meetings can be loose and unstructured, or they can also be highly detailed, like with Individual Development Plans<\/a> (IDP) that provide ongoing employee feedback designed to help employees grow.<\/p>\n<\/span>4. Set Goals With Clear Deadlines<\/span><\/h2>\nFrom the beginning, each individual and each team should have clear goals. Without them, competition and conflict will demolish any team cohesion you\u2019ve worked tirelessly to create. If possible, get them involved in the brainstorming and goal-setting process early. Nothing provides ownership, like asking people for advice and letting them run with their own ideas.<\/p>\n
Another great example of this is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos\u2019s famous \u201ctwo pizza rule,\u201d which states that if a team can\u2019t be fed by two pizzas, then that team is too big.<\/p>\n
<\/span>2. Encourage Personal Interactions<\/span><\/h2>\nWe all need friends at work. Allies keep things interesting, provide an outlet to vent, and help us tackle our day-to-day obstacles.<\/p>\n
When putting together an elite team for a special project, it\u2019s imperative that you facilitate some team bonding<\/a>. People are more alike than different, and the difference between being strangers and pals is finding commonality.<\/p>\nBuilding camaraderie is sometimes as simple as socializing over a meal or doing a group activity together. Encourage group members to get together outside of work hours, and when at work, try incorporating some icebreaker games.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/span>3. Provide Feedback & Ongoing Training<\/span><\/h2>\nTeams are only as strong as their weakest link, so it\u2019s imperative to thread performance evaluations into the fold at regular intervals. This is especially important if you\u2019re looking to improve group cohesion and achieve goals more quickly.<\/p>\n
The biggest payoff comes from ongoing one-on-ones between managers and individual contributors. Scheduling time to go over performance, provide feedback, and overcome obstacles is critical in the early stages of the project. Done correctly, this will set the tone for the project and maintain high expectations from the get-go.<\/p>\n
One-on-one meetings can be loose and unstructured, or they can also be highly detailed, like with Individual Development Plans<\/a> (IDP) that provide ongoing employee feedback designed to help employees grow.<\/p>\n<\/span>4. Set Goals With Clear Deadlines<\/span><\/h2>\nFrom the beginning, each individual and each team should have clear goals. Without them, competition and conflict will demolish any team cohesion you\u2019ve worked tirelessly to create. If possible, get them involved in the brainstorming and goal-setting process early. Nothing provides ownership, like asking people for advice and letting them run with their own ideas.<\/p>\n
Building camaraderie is sometimes as simple as socializing over a meal or doing a group activity together. Encourage group members to get together outside of work hours, and when at work, try incorporating some icebreaker games.<\/a><\/p>\n Teams are only as strong as their weakest link, so it\u2019s imperative to thread performance evaluations into the fold at regular intervals. This is especially important if you\u2019re looking to improve group cohesion and achieve goals more quickly.<\/p>\n The biggest payoff comes from ongoing one-on-ones between managers and individual contributors. Scheduling time to go over performance, provide feedback, and overcome obstacles is critical in the early stages of the project. Done correctly, this will set the tone for the project and maintain high expectations from the get-go.<\/p>\n One-on-one meetings can be loose and unstructured, or they can also be highly detailed, like with Individual Development Plans<\/a> (IDP) that provide ongoing employee feedback designed to help employees grow.<\/p>\n From the beginning, each individual and each team should have clear goals. Without them, competition and conflict will demolish any team cohesion you\u2019ve worked tirelessly to create. If possible, get them involved in the brainstorming and goal-setting process early. Nothing provides ownership, like asking people for advice and letting them run with their own ideas.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/span>3. Provide Feedback & Ongoing Training<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>4. Set Goals With Clear Deadlines<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Focus-300x200.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n