Working with a team, towards a united goal, is a theme that presents itself over and over again throughout life. Achieving unity amongst your group is imperative if you want to be successful. Luckily, there are exercises and best practices that help foster harmony. Keep reading for 3 specific ways to strengthen the unity of your team.

Mutual Understanding of the Goal

The first part of becoming a unified front is focusing on defining and communicating the goal. Defining the goal should address: what the goal is, how to reach it, when it should be reached, as well as why it is important to each member and the group as a whole. How (and how often) the team communicates also impacts cohesion. Communication should be clear, concise yet detailed, scheduled, and helpful. When possible, try to ensure that team goals and communications are delivered through both verbal and written means. After these steps are taken, you should work with your teammates to decide on a schedule to check-in on each other. During check-ins, you should discuss any progress made toward the goal, while providing support and encouragement. Acknowledge successes and create action plans for areas that need improvement; doing so will provide a strong foundation for unity.

Get to Know Each Other on a Deeper Level

You may think you know a person well, but upon closer examination, do you really? Do you know what makes him feel respected? What makes an apology meaningful to her? Would he rather lead or follow? These are all questions that speak to the inner-workings of what makes a person tick. Personality types, work habits, and relevant preferences shine a little light on how to properly interact with a teammate. Getting to know someone helps you better: match them with a comfortable role, avoid triggers, and offer assistance when needed. You must dive deeper than the surface level to perfect the cohesion of your team.

Build Trust and Respect

Lastly, trust and respect are the fundamental building blocks of any functional team. Respect includes validation of feelings, politeness, the freedom to express diverse ideas, fairness, inclusivity, gratitude, and mindfulness. Respectful teammates also value each others’ time, practice active listening, give proper credit, and avoid gossip. These actions go hand-in-hand with fostering trust. Prove your ability to be trusted by being: honest, consistent, accountable, responsible, and upfront. Trustworthiness is built by teams who consider how their actions affect others, communicate openly, and have integrity and high morals. It is also important to be protective of your teammates and joint goals. Focusing on building both trust and respect within the group will greatly improve how effective you are collectively.

United we stand, divided we fall. When you create connections with other people, it’s best to move forward together. The opposite of unity is discord. Discord causes confusion, disorder, and a halt to productivity. None of which is favorable. Whether you wish to build unity in your workplace, in your personal relationships, or with your family, these 3 tips are certain to be useful.