The global workforce has changed over the past two years. A recent survey reported 87 percent of work teams use internal and external resources. This includes contractors, freelancers, and other “gig” workers’ special skill sets.
Yet most systems and processes focus only on the full- or part-time employees. Many other long-standing workplace practices create barriers to non-traditional workers. Thus, today’s leaders face new challenges to building integrated, high-performing teams.
Expanded workforces don’t always translate into high efficiency. Keep reading to learn how to create a high-performing team with these blended workers.
Key Steps to Building High Performing Teams
The pandemic has forever changed the way we do business. Skilled freelancers and contractors are now a hot commodity. Companies now use different tools and methods for interacting with team members.
Integrating in-house and remote staff can challenge the team dynamics. Thus, we need to re-think our approaches to achieving high-performing teams. The following information discusses steps used by several successful experts.
1. Remove Perceived Silos
A silo mentality describes a mindset built around isolation. These people believe they’re part of an elite group. They hold the key to specific knowledge and resources that’s too important to share.
This culture creates pockets of information and divides the workforce. Thus, different departments must wait to work on their piece of the project. The creates redundancies and reduced productivity.
Each department has a limited data set to work with. A better solution may be out there, but no one can see it from their “silo”. Teach the workgroup strategies to build bridges.
Develop Positive Team Dynamics
Optimizing team dynamics relies on the members’ behaviour, communication, and collaboration. Do they show up, participate, and contribute to a positive vibe? Evaluating the level of positive vs negative dynamics can predict their effectiveness.
High-functioning groups rely on the right team dynamic environment. One survey asked 5,000 executives to describe their best team experience. The results highlighted three keys for great team dynamics.
- Align end-point goals and the strategies to reach them
- Develop trusted, high-quality, and open communication
- Ensure management support to experiment, take risks, and innovate.
Building effective team dynamics increase motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction. Your business benefits from lower absenteeism and turnover. This increases the return on investment by raising customer satisfaction and sales.
Team building and strengthening isn’t a one-time task. It needs ongoing attention to maintain positivity while adjusting to change. Ensure that management leads by example and fosters trusting relationships with the workers.
Establish clear goals and define who is accountable for specific tasks. Develop an emotionally safe team culture to encourage sharing innovative ideas. Identify and focus on the internal and external workforce’s unique strengths.
Integrate Internal and External Teams
Nurture the development and alignment of visions across the contingent workforce. Gaining buy-in from all areas can create more efficient processes. This includes co-operations between those who manage each part of the whole team.
Watch for redundancy or conflict in all facets of the process. If found, bring it to the team’s attention and work together to optimize the plan. This helps team members understand and support the rationale for changes.
Individuals gain trust when they feel like they know the “whole story”. Team members will adapt more easily to changes and promote progress toward the goals.
2. Foster Motivation to Promote High Performance
At our core, we’re motivated by seeing our efforts move toward and achieve set goals. Even if the endpoint is difficult, being confident that we will succeed motivates us. Highly effective people tend to set more challenging goals and remain committed.
Look for leaders that demonstrate this quality when assembling your workforce. Managers must get to know their team members and learn what motivates them.
Onsite and external workers want to feel like they’re respected and vital contributors. If their expectations aren’t met, employee performance suffers, and they often leave. This disrupts team dynamics and progress.
Elicit input from all team members to learn what drives them. Then act on their responses. This shows that management values their insight which increases motivation and satisfaction.
Provide Job Training to Meet Changing Needs
Employees don’t like to feel confused or unprepared. Provide essential training for all team members to help them perform at a high level. It’s also important to maintain a bird’s-eye view of how various roles interact.
Discuss the team’s task achievement with the group. Ask them to describe obstacles or challenges they face in reaching endpoints. In some cases, the team may find that cross-training can overcome some of these problems.
Training methods and schedules must remain dynamic and flexible. Gone are the days of presenting inservices at a set location and time. Your freelancers and contractors may be scattered across the globe.
New information technology (IT) products allow you to disseminate training efficiently. This keeps your team at the top of their game and allows smooth role adjustments.
Leverage Your Diverse Team’s On-Demand Skills
As your team develops workflows, they may find a need for additional skill sets. The JobBliss Marketplace allows hiring managers to find the right people. This public database contains the full-time, freelancers, and contractors you’re looking for.
Hiring managers have tools to oversee all management activities. They’re given the required permissions to approve resources. The user-friendly dashboard also promotes confidence that they’re meeting the team’s needs.
3. Take Advantage of Digital Collaboration Tools
Digital collaboration tools provide an easy way to unite contingency workers and processes. Today, fewer people attend in-face meetings. These digital platforms make it easy to connect without time spent commuting.
Team members can also collaborate on shared documents in real-time. This allows everyone to provide input and see others’ contributions. Fostering high-level communication drives more efficient planning.
If you need to collect information, data management tools facilitate this process. This gives the team current knowledge for making key decisions. The team’s confidence rises and creates more excitement with each success.
Are You Looking for a Comprehensive Management Tool?
Companies, today, rely on high-performing teams to maximize their return on investment. JobBliss is a Freelancer/Contractor Management System. We provide tools to build, manage, and track your external, flexible workforce.
Our solution optimizes your team processes to save you time and money. We maintain data security and ensure that your company meets all compliance standards. Schedule a free demo today to learn more about our services.
