Is getting your team working together towards a common goal always a challenge? Even if you have adequate number of competent subordinates or team members with you, you might end up not achieving the results on the expected deadline or not satisfied with the outcome. Well, what could then be holding back your team in putting out their best at work. Here are few things that help you to get the best out of your team.

Communicate with your team: When you deal with people communication is the one thing that can help keep up a healthy relationship with them. Sending out an email of tasks to be assigned and finished is not what I mean when I talk about communication. Rather treat them as people and spend some time with them. Make sure that your team has understood what it is exactly that you are expecting from them and the value of their contribution towards achieving a particular task. Have team meeting twice a week at least. Let everyone know their strengths and areas of improvement and this can help each other too.

Know your team’s skills & capabilities: For sure a manager should know about the skill inventories that he has with him. Only then can he can use it effectively. For e.g. You might want to do an excellent presentation for the next board meeting and if you were aware that one of your team members has expert skills for preparing presentations, get him involved. Give him the opportunity to be a part of it at the time of presentation as well. It will make them feel that they are important to you and that they have made a contribution too. Another situation that I always see is managers coming to HR asking for more or new manpower for getting new vacancies filled. Well first look within your team itself to see if anyone can be promoted to that vacant role. Instead of bringing in a new person you can give your team an opportunity to grow.

Leave out the fear of delegation: Sometime a manager doesn’t want to completely delegate a job to his team members because he doesn’t completely trust the capability of his team. But this might hit your team members negatively and lead them to believe that the work given to them is not challenging and that they can’t use their full potential.

Treat them equal: Treat everyone in your team equally. You should not diminish the sense of togetherness by displaying any bias. As an example do not keep a pet list within your team or be different in your responses depending on how much you like someone. If you share any good news or recognition that you received for your team make sure that you are sharing this with everyone together.

Grant Authority: Give appropriate authority to your team in order for them to complete their work. For e.g. if they need to interact with the higher management above you or any outside customers, grant them the authority to represent you and if they need to get any data grant them that access as well.

Get Commitment : This is where a manager should assign the ownership of a particular work to their team and get a commitment from them. Make it clear as to whose responsibility a particular task is and who will be the point of contact for each assignment.

Provide Support: Make sure that your team has access to everything that is required to do their work. Give tremendous support in terms of providing clarification, guiding when they are wrong and motivating them to promote the togetherness of your team.

Ultimately how much you value your team can be shown with your actions and words only.