Top 7 tips for maintaining a team connection.(Selected Topic)

Thousands of love songs portray sad stories of the fire going out in a romantic relationship. Business teams face the same danger. Members of a team can become too familiar and stuck in patterns of doing the bare minimum when it comes to teamwork. Similar to the song "You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore," the feeling that occurs when the thrill is gone is usually felt by all involved. As a leader, you have the power to influence how connected your team remains over time. Follow these seven tips and you will lead your team around--or even through--the rough spots involved with staying connected.

1. Think Big: Help your team remember why they are together. As you face the day-to-day task of getting work done, the reason for all the effort often gets lost. In order to keep a team motivated, it is crucial that you have a higher purpose behind what you are doing. A leader must remind team members that together, they are moving toward this grand vision. If the captain of the ship does not seem concerned about where they are headed, why will the crew?

2. Think Small: Every interaction is either a deposit or a withdrawal As important as the "Big Picture" is, it will mean little if the team shows little value to one another on a regular basis. As the leader, you must model the importance of valuing each other in daily interactions. Last-minute deadlines often interrupt common courtesies--however, those times provide even more reason to acknowledge each other when you have an opportunity. Bob will not be inspired by your vision if you don't even say hello when you see him in the halls.

3. Drive The Fun Bus: It is easy to stay connected when you are having fun! Not to say that you need to sharpen your stand-up comedy act, but be prepared to inject some fun into the team. Highly performing teams can burn out by focusing too much on producing. When you throw some fun into the mix, the team is able to recharge their batteries and keep going. A great way to add some fun is to do a relevant team-building activity and discussion during your next meeting.

4. Be A Stage Mother: Educate the team on group stages. It is widely accepted that groups go through stages as they grow. There is the "forming" stage where everyone plays nice, not wanting to rock the boat. Next comes the "storming" stage when team members attempt to define what Roles they will play in the group. Then, comes the "norming" stage which sees the group settle into a standard of working together. After norming, strong groups move into the "performing" stage. This is the stage we want from the beginning. Finally, the ...