The success of any group effort will always come down to team alignment in the end. Whether it is a company, a sports team, or some other form of group, the outcome will always depend on how well the individuals who make up the group function when working together.

How well these individuals work together results from how they understand the team’s nature and purpose. At the same time, it comes down to how they view each individual’s roles within the team. This individual team alignment represents how well each individual’s understanding of the team environment empowers them to act effectively in advancing the team’s common goals.

(While we’re on the subject of goals, give this post a read next: Setting Effective Sales Goals – The Rule of 5)

What are the three critical steps for team alignment?

The utterly essential element for team alignment is constant communication. And this means communication not only between supervisors and team members but also between team members themselves. However, there are three key teamwork elements that can also help to build team cohesion and alignment. Working toward common goals helps to develop these three traits in employees. Then, this instills a strong culture of teamwork within any organization and helps to ensure that teamwork is maximized for every project.

As for the specifics of these three traits? They come down to:

• Going above and beyond for your team
• Trusting your team
• Pushing each other

Let’s expand a bit on each of these elements to demonstrate their role in team alignment.

Going Above and Beyond for the Team

When employees give even more than what is expected toward achieving a shared goal, they help create a sense of unity that breaks down the individual viewpoint and promotes a sense of shared purpose.

Workers who can only view each task from their own perspective will only do what is necessary to satisfy their personal assignment. On the other hand, workers who understand how their assignment fits into the greater team goal will be able to deliver work that complements and enhances the work of their teammates without even needing to be told to do so.

Trusting Each Other

Another significant element of team alignment is trust between team members.

What happens when team members are willing to go above and beyond in their assignments and put the team’s overall outcome above their individual outcomes? They trust that their teammates will be doing the same—or at least they should.

Moreover, trust is built upon trust. A team will become progressively more integrated and consequently more effective as the trust between team members builds due to positive team outcomes.

(Trust is also part of X5 Management’s LRT principle: Like, Respect, and Trust. Read more about it here)

Pushing Each Other

As for the final element of effective team cohesion? It’s the drive to excel that comes from working as part of a team.

Many people find it difficult to push themselves against their own metrics of success. But when they’re part of a team, there’s a stronger inclination to do so. That’s why it’s essential that team members take advantage of this natural tendency and try to push their teammates to do more than they think they can.

Team members are in the best position to recognize when their teammates could be doing more and identify their teammates’ strengths they might not see in themselves. A constant effort to push each other to do more and to do it better creates a real sense of collective achievement. In the end, this means each individual is a little better as a part of a team than they would be on their own.

Whether it’s team alignment, sales training, improving employee motivation, or anything in between, we have the services and coaching you need. Click here to set up a consultation and learn more about how we can help.

Did you learn a lot from this post about team alignment?

Here are three you’ll want to read next:

5 Sales Team Training & Development Topics You Need To Know
Does Your Team Know How to Team?
Leading Your Team Through A Loss

This article was first published in 2019 but it was updated in 2021 just for you.