2 Things That Make the Biggest Difference When It Comes to Building a Cohesive Team

Great teams are always cohesive and united in their pursuit of common goals. The strength and extent of interpersonal connection existing among the members of a group is the biggest indicator of whether a group is likely to succeed together. 

Reflect for a moment on the extent to which your team work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for the business. Now reflect on the quality of relationships across the group and how well people are able to collaborate.  

At the heart of any team’s ability to be truly cohesive are strong relationships built on a foundation of trust and respect. Two of the most important influencers of trust and respect are personal accountability and emotional intelligence.

Personal Accountability 

Cohesion demands personal accountability from every individual for the impact they have on the success of the team. Taking shared ownership of team goals, working in a spirit of cooperation, being respectful and supporting colleagues to succeed should be expected of everyone.  

Begin by hiring the right people. Look for people who are likely to bring a collective mind-set to their role and focus on the success of the team. Avoid hiring people solely focused on what they can gain. 

Even one individual can undermine the strength of a team’s spirit and sense of unity. 

Make no exceptions. The surest way to erode engagement and create an individualistic culture is to look past poor behaviour from so called high performers.  

Create a ‘one company, one team’ culture in which people are rewarded for the positive impact they have beyond the boundaries of their own job.  

Emotional Intelligence 

Contemplate for a moment how often emotional responses have stood in the way of progress. How many times have you witnessed defensive reactions undermining reasonable debate and problem-solving? 

All too often, a lack of emotional intelligence prevents individuals from performing at their best and negatively impacts the rest of the team. 

Dr. Travis Bradberry and Dr. Jean Greaves, co-authors of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, offer this useful definition: “Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.” 

Developing emotional intelligence throughout an organization can have a profound impact, not only on team cohesion but also on performance.