Top 10 Tips To Enhance Team Cohesion

Team cohesion is the glue that holds a team together. 

When team members stick together, they experience a sense of solidarity, trust, and mutual support.

A disconnected team is an ineffective team. And an ineffective team is likely unproductive. Sound familiar?

Not to worry because we’re going to cover top, proven ways to enhance team cohesion at your organization.

Let’s dive right in.

What Is Team Cohesion and Why It Matters

Team cohesion is your team’s ability to stay united and work together to achieve a common goal.

Why does it matter?

Because teams on the same page are more productive, communicate better, and achieve higher levels of creativity and innovation.

Team cohesion promotes better job performance, employee engagement, and customer service. 

The result is increased revenue because when your team is performing at its best, it delivers higher-quality work, which leads to greater customer satisfaction. Happy customers lead to increased loyalty and repeat business.

How To Enhance Team Cohesion

Below are ten ways to build a close-knit team that works together and supports each other.

1. Clarify company values and goals

Your company mission statement and values are essential for steering your business in the direction you want it to go.

So, clarify your company vision and goals and communicate them to the entire team.

You might also consider involving your team in creating a vision and mission statement from the start. This can help foster trust and cohesion from the very beginning.

2. Hire for culture fit

Recruit and interview candidates who fit your company culture. This ensures that new team members align with your organization’s values and working style.

Employees with similar values and attitudes are more likely to collaborate effectively, support each other, and work toward common goals.

Below are some qualities to look for in the ideal candidate:

• Ability to set aside politics in the interests of the team
• Willingness to work collectively and share credit
• Great communication and collaboration skills

Hiring employees with these soft skills can contribute to a cohesive work environment. 

This is even more important in certain industries. In industries like family law, choosing divorce mediators who share core values such as empathy, conflict resolution, and legal expertise is vital. This creates a cohesive and harmonious work environment.

Hiring for culture fit also improves:

• Communication
• Collaboration
• Synergy
• Trust

Ultimately, this approach enhances the quality of mediation services and increases client satisfaction.

3. Promote and practice team-building

An overwhelming 90% of employees believe fostering a sense of community contributes to their success. Team building can help you build this sense of community.

At Outback Team Building & Training, we take the stress out of running these activities. We host many fun and unique team-building activities and events that help bring your team closer together.

Some examples of our activities include:

• Cardboard Boat Building Challenge
• Corporate Escape Rooms
• Clue Murder Mystery
• Trivia Time Machine
• Picnic Party Games
• Friendly Feud

4. Eliminate silos

Eliminating silos is mission-critical to enhancing team cohesion across departments. You can do this by promoting knowledge sharing and implementing a formal knowledge management strategy.

Consider a centralized platform, such as an internal wiki, intranet, or knowledge base, to document and organize all team knowledge. This helps you promote a culture of openness and collaboration where everyone readily shares information and expertise.

5. Encourage training and development

Training and development help improve team cohesion by fostering cross-functional collaboration, company-sponsored programs, and education.

Cross-functional training breaks down departmental barriers and encourages employees from different work areas to collaborate, strengthening relationships and building unity.

Company-sponsored programs and educational opportunities provide workers with the tools they need to succeed, which enhances team performance and morale.

Employees who engage in training and development opportunities become more engaged and are likely to collaborate well with others.

Consider offering private student loan solutions to support employees pursuing their education, demonstrating your commitment to their professional growth and financial well-being. 

6. Empower leaders and delegate authority

Give your leaders the autonomy to make decisions and trust them to guide your team. This empowerment can help boost leaders’ confidence and create a team environment where everyone feels engaged and valued.

To streamline the way you delegate authority and empower leaders, consider using employee scheduling apps. 

These apps encourage a collaborative environment where team members can stretch and grow by giving managers the tools to easily share expertise and coordinate schedules. 

They can also facilitate platforms for idea exchange and continuous learning by ensuring that all team members are aware of training sessions, meetings, and collaborative projects, fostering empowerment and cohesion. 

7. Celebrate successes

Recognize and celebrate your team members’ achievements, which can positively impact team cohesion and motivation.

You can use team-building activities to show your employees you appreciate their hard work and acknowledge their contributions. 

You can also take small actions to recognize employees. These include:

• Connecting successes to team goals and mission
• Acknowledging exceptional effort
• Facilitating conflict resolution
• Saying thank you

8. Build diversity, equity, and inclusion

Achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in your workplace brings together people from different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives.

When team members can openly share their unique viewpoints, it leads to more creative solutions and innovation.

Promoting open discussions and actively seeking out diverse talent can help you build a thriving DEI culture.

9. Create open communication

Open, transparent communication is a key to building a cohesive team. To create this, consider implementing an employee communication app. These tools can transform how your team shares information and collaborates.

With technology on your side, you can streamline updates, encourage ongoing dialogue, and break down barriers — especially if you have field operations teams. You’ll find it easier to keep everyone in the loop, share quick updates, and facilitate department discussions.

This is especially important for field services teams, who are often overlooked when it comes to digital transformation of workflows. Solutions like SiteCapture offer solar project management software enabling field operations teams to chat, collaborate, and solve problems in real-time, ensuring seamless communication and efficient project execution. Not only does this improve team cohesion, but it ensures that projects are completed smoothly. 

10. Engage employees and nurture morale

According to a 2023 Gallup survey, only 33% of U.S. employees are engaged.

A disengaged team is unlikely to be cohesive and stick together. On the other hand, engaged employees are more present, focused, and motivated. So, nurturing individual morale can pave the way for better team cohesion.

Use these tips to boost employee engagement at your organization:

• Host regular team meetings, feedback sessions, and open-door policies
• Offer training programs, mentorship opportunities, or workshops
• Design workspaces and processes that promote collaboration
• Organize regular team-building activities
• Facilitate cross-department projects
• Create a recognition program

How Outback Team Building Can Enhance Your Team Cohesion

Building team cohesion and boosting employee engagement makes for a more successful and productive work environment.

Hosting regular team-building activities is a major strategy for bringing teams together. Why?

These activities allow your team members the opportunity to work together outside their usual roles.

This helps break down barriers, build trust, and reinforce team bonds by offering a platform for your people to connect on a personal level.

Trust Outback Team Building to help you create impactful team-building experiences that foster cohesion and boost morale. Request a quote for your next team-building event.

Author Bio

Catalina Grigoriev is an incurable optimist with a bubbly personality. That’s what my colleagues say. Secret mission: cat lover disguised as a dog person. Ex law student who switched into the digital marketing lane. Currently delving into the depths of SEO and content marketing at Planable.