In our last YES! Your Human Resources Solution blog, Using Work Styles to Build Stronger Teams, we identified four distinct work styles and the different values they bring to the table—everything you need to assemble a solid, well-rounded work team. This week, we’ll share how to get the most from your team by fostering teamwork in your office culture.

Teamwork is all about appreciating collaboration, which can be a tough act to sell if “being the best” has been the cultural norm. But as we all know, there is no I in teamwork! True teamwork grows when employees believe they are better together, when employees think, plan, and act collaboratively as a second nature. But how can you create an environment that encourages employees to work together?

A teamwork culture is encouraged when:

• Teamwork is codified as a cultural value. A great way to communicate that collaboration is encouraged (and expected) is to make it part of the organization’s core values. Formally add “teamwork” to the list of values, or create a new list if none exists, and then post that list around the office. Share it and inspire the office to live those values.
• Leadership models teamwork. Employees look to their leaders for cultural cues and for direction in their work. When leadership communicates an expectation and leads by example, the team will take note and follow suit. So stick to the teamwork model even if things start to get tough and it becomes tempting to go it alone.
• Performance reviews emphasize teamwork. Make teamwork a criterion in performance reviews, and look at the whole picture—collaboration as much as individual achievement—when considering overall performance feedback.
• Teamwork comes with rewards and recognition. Shine a spotlight on successful collaborative results instead of focusing on that one talented worker who refuses to play nice with others. Create a culture where great teamwork becomes legend, and great team players become leadership.

In a true teamwork culture, employees achieve more together than they ever could have separately. Employees believe in the power of collaboration and they practice it every day. By making a few small but powerful changes to the work environment, you can begin to build a culture that values teamwork, and you can begin to see what amazing results it yields!