6 Ways to Invest in Your Team for 2019

As a manager or team leader, it’s often difficult to find a way of developing a team that works for everybody because each team member is their own person, with their own strengths, weaknesses, and interests. It can be done; it simply takes a few innovative techniques to get everyone on the same page.

Here are six great ways to invest in your entire team’s development.

Focus on Role Comprehension

One of the most important initial steps in improving your team members’ skills and efficiency in their roles is by making sure they actually understand what their role is. Of course, everyone knows the basics of what they’re expected to do each day, though they might not understand the bigger picture.

Have sit-downs with each team member and ask them a few questions about what they think of their role and what they believe they’re expected to bring to the organization each day. Once the entire team understands their value and what’s expected of them, you’ll already have a more empowered and engaged workforce.

Ensure Everyone Has Educational Tools

Education is one of the most important aspects of any industry. An uneducated or undertrained workforce is slow, sloppy, and costly. If your team knows they have access to free or subsidized educational resources, they’re far more likely to utilize these to better themselves.

As an entire group, it would be beneficial to go over e-learning platforms like Upskilled so your team knows exactly where to go if they need to improve a skill to become more effective at their jobs. These services are also versatile enough to provide your team with so many skills that they may even be able to create entirely new departments within your business.

Do Group Goal-Setting Activities

As a team, nothing is more motivational than working together to meet goals. To encourage your team to work more effectively, you should organize regular goal-setting activities that happen in groups. This way everyone knows exactly what they’re working toward, and the activities might even empower the team to better work together to meet these goals.

Remembering that every employee will have different approaches is also important. Don’t set one strict way of doing things, and certainly don’t punish team members for doing things differently or you’ll create irreversible workplace issues. At the end of the day, your team’s success is shared with you, and you’ll want to empower everyone to succeed and reach their goals so you can reach yours.

Promote Out-of-Work Wellness Activities

Over the past few years, this investment strategy has become a big one. Investing in your employees’ health is going to improve operations in a big way. If everyone’s happy, healthy, and motivated, their work will be excellent. Take a page from Apple’s playbook and opt for fitness trackers or some sort of motivational accessory that promotes exercise and employee challenges. These types of activities promote communication, team building, and, of course, a healthy lifestyle.

Reward Great Work

Everyone likes to be rewarded for a job well done. At the end of each week, month, or year, award employees or groups who work exceptionally well together. By doing so, you’ll be showing appreciation and also promoting great work. Types of awards most likely to be graciously received and not cause conflict are typically gift cards, extra days off, or even bonuses.

On top of improved work ethic, studies have shown that over 80 percent of employees who work in workplaces with reward or recognition programs are more content with their jobs and happier at work.

Stop Work Once in a While

Yes, it’s your team’s work that keeps your business moving forward—but that doesn’t mean everyone needs to be chained to their desk for eight straight hours. Once a week, or a few times a month, it’s a great idea to halt work and focus on something entirely different. Invite the team to grab coffee as a group, or to have an extended out-of-office lunch. This is another great relationship strengthening activity and also gives everyone some time to relax and refresh before more work gets done.