Project Managers have a direct influence on team synergy. This article discusses specific actions they can take to enhance teamwork and build cohesion among stakeholders.
What is Synergy?
The term “synergy” represents the ability of people to accomplish more as part of an effective team than they can if they work on their own. Teams with positive synergy collaborate well and perform at higher levels. When team synergy increases, projects see increasing success at an exponential rate. However, the opposite is also true. If team synergy decreases, projects experience decreasing success at an exponential rate. Teams are either progressing upward or sliding down this curve, requiring constant vigilance by leaders and team members.
Start with a Team Charter
One of the first actions a project manager can take involves having team members develop a Team Charter, a guiding document establishing how members will work together. It includes shared values, team norms, ground rules for interaction, decision-making processes, conflict management approaches, and communication expectations.
To create an effective charter, gather team members, have them develop expectations, resolve concerns, document results, invite signatures, and display the document prominently in work areas. When difficulties arise, members can reference the charter to navigate challenges.
Leading Synergistic Teams
An effective team environment promotes unity, belonging, cohesion, value, and trust. Project managers must embody the qualities and take actions allowing these feelings to flourish. Effective leaders possess integrity, trustworthiness, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving abilities. The work environment and team climate are built on relationships, with leaders serving as the foundation for positive dynamics.
Actions project managers can take include:
- Being positive
- Clearly defining team success parameters
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities
- Communicating effectively
- Facilitating coaching and training
- Removing performance obstacles
- Establishing team-based recognition programs
Team-based rewards create more positive environments than competition-driven systems. Leaders should celebrate team performance while showing gratitude for individual contributions.
Project managers should introduce team-building activities, both formal and informal. Every meeting presents an opportunity to build cohesion and support healthy culture. Leaders can also improve environments by empowering teams through allowing members to set goals, organize around strengths, participate in planning, volunteer for assignments, monitor metrics, and decide how to address performance variances. Self-organizing teams leverage empowerment benefits effectively.
Conclusion
Leadership involves influencing people’s attitudes and actions. A leader’s influence proves critical when building team synergy, which is fundamentally about attitudes and actions. When team members develop positive relationships and collaborate, they advance toward exponential success. This represents the ultimate goal.