How can you improve team cohesion when team members have different work styles?

2 Learn about your team members' work styles

The next step is to learn about your team members' work styles and preferences. How do they approach tasks, problems, and decisions? How do they communicate, collaborate, and cope with stress? What motivates and demotivates them? You can use the same tools as above, or simply ask them directly, to gain insights into their work styles and personalities. By understanding how they work, you can appreciate their contributions, respect their differences, and avoid unnecessary conflicts.

3 Establish clear goals and expectations

A common source of friction among team members with different work styles is the lack of clear goals and expectations. Without a shared vision and direction, team members may have conflicting priorities, agendas, and standards. To improve team cohesion, you need to establish clear goals and expectations for the team as a whole, as well as for each individual. You need to communicate what needs to be done, why, how, when, and by whom. You also need to define the roles and responsibilities of each team member, and how they will be measured and rewarded.

4 Leverage the strengths of each work style

One of the benefits of having a diverse team is that you can leverage the strengths of each work style to achieve better results. For example, you can pair up a planner with a doer, a thinker with a feeler, a leader with a follower, or a collaborator with a soloist, to balance each other out and complement each other's skills. You can also assign tasks and projects that suit the preferences and talents of each team member, and encourage them to share their expertise and perspectives with others.

5 Foster a culture of trust and respect

The most important factor for improving team cohesion is to foster a culture of trust and respect among team members with different work styles. Trust and respect are the foundations of effective communication, collaboration, and feedback. To build trust and respect, you need to be honest, transparent, and supportive. You need to listen actively, empathize sincerely, and appreciate genuinely. You need to give constructive feedback, accept constructive criticism, and resolve conflicts constructively. You need to celebrate successes, acknowledge failures, and learn from mistakes.

6 Review and improve your team cohesion

The final step to improving team cohesion is to review and improve your team cohesion regularly. You need to monitor your team's performance, satisfaction, and morale, and identify any issues or gaps that need to be addressed. You need to solicit feedback from your team members, and give feedback to your team members, on how they can improve their work styles and interactions. You need to implement changes and adjustments that can enhance your team cohesion and productivity. You need to keep learning and growing as a team, and as individuals.