How can I support and reinvigorate my team as they reconnect?
Here are seven activities recommended by team-based working specialists:
1. Reunite around shared purpose and a new direction
Social psychologists have demonstrated the importance of shared purpose for preventing fractures or
fault lines in relationships within teams, especially when divisions occur, such as those between
redeployed staff, furloughed staff or those working on the frontline.
TIP: Revisit the team’s overall purpose and how the team wants to work together. Ask the team to agree five things ‘we must always do’ and five things ‘we must never do.’
2. Take time out to reflect
All the evidence around team working suggests that creating space for teams to reflect on their goals,
strategies and processes (such as decision making and quality improvement) has a big impact on
productivity, effectiveness, innovation and team members’ wellbeing. The more difficult the
environment and the experiences within the team, the more important it is to take time out.
TIP: Consider using a simple diagnostic tool to frame your discussion. The process of reviewing team goals, strategies and processes together as a team can help get things out into the open and identify areas for more discussion.
3. Value different experiences and manage conflict positively
Managed well, the variation of experience and the multiple perspectives arising from the pandemic
can be harnessed by teams to improve services or ways of working. The challenge is to develop a wider
understanding and tolerance within the team about their differences. It requires team members to manage conflict and resentment quickly, transparently, ethically and courageously in the long term interests of patients and service users.
TIP: Model careful listening to others’ contributions (‘listening with fascination’) and ensure everyone’s opinions are valued, not simply those who are in the majority.
4. Accept that the future is uncertain
Covid-19 will be with us for some time. Travel and commerce will enable its continuing transmission and vaccination is unlikely to offer permanent immunity. For health and care teams, the future is therefore unpredictable. Some of the changes brought about by Covid-19 will be permanent and some not, but we don’t yet know which. Teams that practise the other six elements described here are well placed to manage uncertainty. Such uncertainty offers great opportunities for innovation and quality improvement – opportunities that must be valued rather than treated as threats.
TIP: Discuss uncertainties and ambiguities openly within the team as a means of clarifying and preparing for change. Such discussions also create seedbeds for creativity and innovation.
5. Promote belonging
The need for belonging reflects our desire to feel and be connected to others – to feel valued, respected and supported in teams and organisations and to care and be cared for in those contexts. Research suggests that frequent contact, compassionate support, serving as a fair-minded ally, treating all respectfully and inclusively and offering support all promote belonging.
TIP: Give warm expressions of welcome when team members reconnect or new members join the team and give support to all team members, not just those with whom you feel personally compatible.
6. Celebrate success
The team’s sense of pride and identity is reinforced through ritual, celebration, humour and narrative. This includes directing attention to how their work has made and now makes a positive difference to patients and society. Notice and celebrate the positives, however small.
TIP: Model ‘sympathetic joy’ where team members take pleasure from the successes of others around them – rather than feeling envious or critical.
7. Embrace remote working
Before the pandemic, most teams already worked virtually to some extent, but many now face the prospect of long-term remote working with little or no face-to-face contact. Team members working virtually must therefore make considerable extra effort to communicate both formally and informally.
TIP: Take the time to have fun and share humour during online meetings – it is helpful, not timewasting (within limits of course).
pandemics teach us how importance to work as a team and family, relatives and friends. we have to listen everyone and construct strong team.
Be supportive, open and honest. Value you teams different skills.
Engage reflect and encourage your team to move forwards by the pathway creating opportunity to succeed
Encouragement and motivation, when a team member achieves a milestone.Situational awareness is key to managing effective team working.
Taking time out from the day to day work to engage with each other is very beneficial and revitalises staff.
Create an open, inclusive environment, be supportive, listen & respect each individual opinion. Be compassionate & empathetic
be mindful and attentive to people in the team who are silent or give off an appearance that they are well and are coping. sometimes a lot is said in actions and not words. Then checking up on them and letting them know I am willing and open to listen attentively without judgement if and when they are ready.
Always be positive and kind to others.
Be compassionate and caring, listen, motivate and support the team
Being Open, Honest, and supporting colleagues is essential. We all know in life things happen and that is not exclusive of your staff support them when it does.
Sort things out, ‘don’t sweep them under the carpet’. Support staff development and give equal voice.
Be supportive and understanding. Make time to listen and value people’s ideas.
compassionate support and be positive
Be kind and support each other and share experience
I always try to instil within the team the importance of peer support, ensuring that no one feels alone, that they know that there is always someone they can reach out to for help and support etc.
Be supportive, acknowledge contributions and celebrate success.
take time out to reflect
Its important to be honest & transparent, acknowledge when things are difficult. Provide space to reflect and provide positive constructive feedback. Most important to be present, listen to understand not just to respond.
Be gentle, supportive and motivate more. Staff are generally very stretched, so listening and being adaptive to their needs helps us navigate this difficult time.
Supporting the team by being positive, and sharing experience. Allowing for reflection , and being open and honest.
Making everyone feel they belong by frequent contact, compassionate support, serving as a fair-minded ally, treating all respectfully and inclusively and offering support
Keep everyone engaged
That’s really important for the team .
Value everyone’s contribution in the team. Try out their suggestions, listen actively.
Make everyone feel that their presence in the team is appreciated and valued. Take time to listen to what everyone has to say and encourage everyone to talk. Acknowledge everyone’s input/ participation
make everyone feel that their presence in the team is appreciated, valued. Take to listen to what everyone has to say and encourage everyone to talk. Recognise everybody’s input.
Have a look at the 6 human needs, where do you fit in, where does your team fit?
Ensure all team members have an equal voice. Encourage participation from all team members.
Be proactive encourage change in the workplace
It is important to welcome everyone in a team, even new ones, and share some humour during remote meetings. Everybody feels valued in the group and works together.
Promote a sense of belonging, inclusion by accepting and celebrating diversity. New team members are arriving from abroad, empower through training, mentorship and reinforcing agreed ways of working. And most importantly manage conflict and resentment quickly in order to promote cohesion of the team.
Listening if people have concerns, have empathy. Be motivational and positive.
We need to Liston to everyone in the team and try to share ideas to make team work together nicely.
Promotion is very important, this will make team work harder.
Positive way of thinking and being inclusive.
By being compassionate and ensuring recognition and appreciation on what they do and reiterate our strength as a team to achieve the shared goal.
Be inclusive equally, show genuine interest, show humour and empathy but be clear about individual and team expectations.
to listen, show compassion and understanding by being supportive
Understand the differences in learning styles and encourage equally
Recognise that everyone has important contributions to make that should be valued and understood
Encourage the staff, asked their opinion and give them support and build good relationship with team.
Take time out to reflect , celebrate successes, be positive and supportive.
Listen to your team, also share, and network idea’s.
Taking time out to reflect.
Celebrate success, and achievements.
Encourage remote working.
Empower and educate the team to do their job safely and effectively.
Value others experiences and allow them to share.
Sharing and listening to each team member’ unique and collective experience. And creating a safe space and providing psychological safely is essential.
be engaged and present. Be approachable and understanding
listen to team members with empathy and curiosity about their experiences, and without judgement
Be honest ,support and respect make them feel valuable part of the team
showing them positive attitude with all of your colleagues and making them feel safe
Motivating Team and encourage sharing knowledge and good practice. Positive attitude with colleagues.
Understanding and sharing experiences.
Useful, valuable and informative.
Knowing that every one is different adds value in the team building process.
The pandemic has exposed and reshaped peoples experiences and way of working. I love the note about celebrating and valuing different experiences and diversity of approaches as this adds up to the spirit of creativity and innovativeness within the team
It is very important that we take time out to reflect.
Value each other experiences,
Be respectful to each other
I really appreciate the importance placed upon role-modelling being happy for others! Make it a norm to celebrate other people without feeling threat or irritance. I also really liked the note about leaving appropriate space for humour in online communications – many feel stifled and rigid in virtual conversations compared with the natural humour that can arise in f2f scenarios.
Proactively address a demoralized team before it spirals into dysfunction.
I will model careful listening and make sure everyone’s opinion counts and as we have new members joining our team, I will put tip 5 in practice : “give warm expressions of welcome when team members reconnect or new members join the team and give support to all team members, not just those with whom you feel personally compatible”
Be open and honest. Show the same level of inclusion and encouragement equally to all members within the team.
It is important to show how managers appreicate the work the team do during the pandemic, appreciate their value, be an active listener with empathy and understand that we all have shared goals for the team to thrive.
validation with support.
Share Experiences also help to give support and understanding
Be kind and support each other. Be flexible and understand that sometimes change is out of our control during the pandemic .
Make sure you give yourself time to refelect. Understand the importance of teams, working with eachother and a lot of ork can be done remotely using latest technology. Keep adapting and exploring ne options.
Encourage and motivate the team to be positive and support all the tome
Ask about their story , show curiosity and investment in the person and their experiences .
Show positivity and shared experience
Be positive and supportive.
Be understanding and accommodating as things change in these challenging times.