Building a Cohesive Team

The concept of “cohesion” in groups or teams describes to what extent the individuals rely on each other for support and to achieve team goals.  In my assignment for class this week, the textbook explains that there are two types of cohesion: socio-emotional cohesion, which describes teams that genuinely like each other and enjoy working together; and instrumental cohesion, teams that rely on each team member to do their part to get the job done (Kreitner & Kinicki, pg. 314).  Typically, team leaders focus on managing each individual, and do not take into account how to create cohesion by managing at the team level.  With the right coaching and combination of skills, managers can guide individuals to work together and accomplish much more than they could on their own.

Who’s who?  Remember back in high school, when everyone cast their vote for “most likely to succeed,” and “biggest jock”?  You probably have some hidden talents on your team, and you never know when those talents might come in handy. Make an effort to look past the resume and the job history, and find out what else your team is up to. 

I'm getting some feedback...

Typically, if you say the word “feedback,” I immediately tense up and am taken back to any number of awkward interactions, usually scheduled around the time of an annual review, in which I had to list my biggest accomplishments for the previous year and talk about the things I wanted to work on in the upcoming year.  The feedback I then received from my manager usually ended up being a “keep up the good work,” and “same time next year.”

Of course, the idea of feedback has changed very much.  According to Krietner and Kinicki, the two main functions of feedback should be to instruct and to motivate.  Managers who take time to provide instructional and motivational feedback to their employees are influencing individuals and as a result, building stronger teams. 

Looking to up your feedback game? Try to make your feedback: 

Theory Y and the Modern Manager

Theory Y is a set of positive assumptions describing employees’ attitudes about work. The Theory Y philosophy is that if you trust your employees and give them responsibilities and meaningful work, they will rise to the challenge.  Employees will be more committed to their job and an organization if they are in an environment that encourages and rewards self-direction, creativity, and innovation (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2016).  Managers have a lot of influence over an employee’s environment.  In a Theory Y-led organization, managers can use that influence to create an atmosphere where employees are empowered to make independent decisions that positively influence the organization.  

Want to embrace Theory Y philosophy? Try to incorporate one or all of these things into your day-to-day routine: