How to Turn a Group of People Into a Team: 3 Powerful Tips

There’s a phrase we often use at GVL: Team morale is the greatest asset any leader can have. Whether you call it team morale or team spirit, there’s that intangible quality that plays a critical role in the success of any team. 

When morale is high, team members get the fulfilling sensation that they’re part of something bigger than themselves and that they matter. Regardless of current circumstances, everyone feels optimistic about the future. 

High morale is the best fuel for teams. It will get you through challenges and help you perform better than expected. 

But before you can build team morale, you must first turn the group of people you’re working with into a team. 

This article will give you actionable insights from our experience on how to effectively build teams. 

What’s the Difference Between a Group and a Team?

Any time a functional unit with multiple people is formed, most people have the tendency of calling it a team. But the truth is if you’ve not worked together in the same combination and towards the same goal before, you’re just a group of people that’s been bundled together. 

A group is a random combination of people, each with different priorities and values. Conversely, a team is a group that has evolved to have a shared vision and common priorities. The members of a team share at least some values and some history. There’s also a sense of solidarity that prompts people to look after the interests of the team and care about fellow team members. 

To understand the difference between a group and a team, consider a special forces unit going deep into enemy territory to execute a dangerous and high-stakes mission. 

If they are to succeed, they have to be in sync. Communication must be flawless. They must have clear roles. 

Additionally, they must have clear standard operating procedures. If a teammate gets shot, there’s no room to fumble. They should automatically know what to do to maximize the teammate’s chances of survival without compromising the mission. 

On one end of the spectrum is a highly-trained and highly-synchronized special forces unit. On the other end is the team you’ve been assigned to lead, which didn’t exist yesterday and whose members probably don’t know each other and have never worked together. 

How do you turn your ragtag group into a synchronized and efficient team? 

Tip 1: Take Your Team Out for a Cup of Tea (Breaking the Ice) 

One of the best things you can do as the leader of a new team is to take your team out for a cup of tea – literally. We’ve seen this work multiple times. 

It doesn’t have to be tea. It could be whatever is appropriate in your situation, whether that’s going out on a Friday evening or having a common lunch on a weekday. 

The important thing is to get your team together in an informal setting and break the ice. Talk about a popular sport like football, make some jokes about what’s going on at work, discuss politics etc 

The goal is to humanize each other, build some bonds, and start accumulating some shared history. 

Be intentional about taking the team out for tea again and again until all the ice is broken. 

Tip 2: Get Everyone On the Team Involved

When a team is new, you have a small window to make every member feel valued and get them invested in the team. Using this window wisely will set a strong foundation for your team. 

Show That Each Team Member Is Valued 

Establishing a culture where every team member is valued is critical for sustainable team success. 

If appropriate, you can do this in one-on-one meetings, where you ask for input from every team member. And if that’s not applicable, you can always do it in team meetings. If others have been active during the meeting and someone on the team hasn’t contributed anything, proactively invite them to give their opinion. 

Every person on your team has unique value. It may not be apparent now, but it’s there. You may not need it now, but you will need it at some point. And whether or not that team member chooses to make that value available to you depends on how you treat them.

You’ll have many opportunities to show team members they are valued. 

What do you do when someone brings an idea to you, even if you don’t think it’s a good idea? What do you do when someone makes a mistake? 

Use these opportunities well. 

Allow Team Members to Shine In What They Are Good At 

As your team starts to discharge its mandate, you’ll have many tasks to handle. 

One of the best ways to get members to buy into the team is giving them opportunities to shine. For example, if someone on the team is great at public speaking, put them in charge of your next presentation. 

Create an environment where it’s easy for team members to play to their strengths. They’ll be motivated and you’ll get the best out of everyone. 

Tip 3: Articulate a Shared Vision

As we explain in the article how to lead effortlessly, a critical role of any effective leader is articulating a shared vision. 

A shared vision can serve as a strong adhesive for a team, giving members what they need to move forward as a unit. Notice that we use the word shared. 

It’s easy for you to go sit down and individually decide what’s best for the unit you’re leading. And since you have the position of team leader, you can get the team to work towards your vision. 

But it’s your vision, which matters more than you think and can significantly reduce the chances of success. 

Conversely, if you involve the team in determining the direction forward (and not just as a formality), it becomes a shared vision. Everyone in the team will be invested in achieving it, which really boosts team morale. 

We must give an important caveat: Sometimes effective leadership means bringing in new concepts that your team members won’t automatically buy into. People are resistant to change. New initiatives, no matter how beneficial, must overcome the force of inertia before they’re successful. 

But even in such situations, it pays to put in the extra work to get your team to buy into the idea rather than bulldozing your way. 

At GVL, we champion the following change management framework for such situations. People will change if: 

• They understand why they need to change
• They see other people (leaders and team mates) adopting the change 
• They are capable of implementing the change
• Their environment supports the change

The Takeaway

It takes intentional work to turn a group of people into a team that can work cohesively and successfully discharge its mandate. 

If you don’t put in the work, you’ll need to be very lucky to achieve the team’s mission. 

In addition to the tips we’ve shared above, there’s much more you can do to thicken the glue that holds your team together. These tips were just meant to point you in the right direction. Happily gluing! 

GVL offers basic leadership and management training to both individuals and organizations. Contact us to equip yourself or your team with the skills necessary to lead successfully across situations