Effects of Team Cohesion on Team Performance

As a People Leader it is the prime responsibility to build and maintain team spirit to achieve higher levels of team goals, resulting in team performance. To be strong and collaborative, teams need a healthy balance of both relationship-focuses in the behaviour and work togetherness to foster a better workplace.

Any achievements of the organisation or successful business strategies are carried out by an effective team with a high level of team cohesiveness. Cohesiveness – the extent to which team members get along together and remain united driven to a ‘common goal’ i.e. the team members or the group of individuals feels connected, have the same mindset and/or understanding, the same feeling to be able to work together.

A high performing team is an Effective Team that has the desire and willingness of the people to work together and support one another as part of team.

It is the job of every leader to get the tasks done by their teams. Hiring someone is easier than getting them to be a team player. Hiring the best talent for any organisation is a ‘must’ for long-term success. But even with the right people in the right roles, it doesn’t click at times. To ‘Live Excellence’ and become the best, it becomes a priority to develop and transform these individuals into a group that truly works together resulting in building ‘TEAM COHESION”.

Members of a highly cohesive team focus on the process, not the person; they respect everyone on the team, and they fully commit to team decisions and strategies, creating accountability among the team. Morale is also higher in cohesive teams because of increased team member communication and engagement, friendly team environment, loyalty and team member contribution in the decision-making process.

Team cohesion impacts nearly every facet of the business; but it is particularly crucial to the efficiency and Performance. Strong cohesiveness leads to the motivational and hygiene factors like optimum performance, belonging, and personal satisfaction.  Team cohesion is also a main determinant in employee engagement and better customer orientation.

Group members don’t just respect one another but also trust each other to contribute equally, support each other, and work within the team with the whole in mind. In totality, a cohesive group can be likened to a group of fans rooting for the same sports team—all working toward a collective win.

Cohesion has historically been considered one of the most important variables in the study of small group dynamics. Group cohesion in a sports context is important when the team must synchronize a response in a competition. Understanding players’ skill sets, preferences, moods, and habits are important for a synchronous response. Cohesion in this context represents a shared social field where the aim is to learn about each other to enhance collective performance.

Creating cohesion is multi-faceted. It doesn’t always happen right away. It’s typically the result of purposeful actions taken by managers and leaders to facilitate effective group dynamics. Few Key drivers to improve team cohesion could be:

• Sharing the Vision – Define Goals and Values : Communicate a clear set of objectives
• Offering ongoing Training and Development and encourage Teambuilding
• Using behavioral data and assessments to improve Interpersonal Relationships
• Increasing Communication and exhibit an Open Culture
• Understanding the driving force and the igniting fire within the team to outperform – Interpersonal Empathy is critical to building confidence within team members. Build Trust.
• Devising Rewards and Recognition (team-based)
• Sharing success stories and call for Celebrations to help build the emotional quotient of the team with gratitude and appreciation when exceeding expectations

Every leader must Inspire and Reinforce to every team member the sense of belongingness, empathy in bonding and mutual respect, in addition to giving people choice over what they can do or decide to do. Once that sense of support (the foundation) is created, the result is openness, reliability and creativity.

The very recent historic win at Australia by the young India team has proved it that half the game is won – “if you believe in your team, their strengths and a cohesive unit remains grounded to the basics and fundamentals “. Every individual is then the ‘match winner’.

A high performing team is an Effective Team that has the desire and willingness of the people to work together and support one another as part of team. To deliver a dream into reality, the full team should work in cohesion and believe in the Leader’s dream to pursuit the common goal. Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality – Warren G Bennis

We’ve entered a new era where ‘Skills’ and ‘Competencies’ are the currency of this economy. It’s vital to note that not just the quality of talent, but also how well they are integrated into existing teams and the transitioning has resulted in high performance is pivotal to the success of any organisation.

Sushmita Choudhury
Head HR – Talent, OD and L&D
RDS I Richard Industrial Group