Service projects may require the skills of multiple trade professionals. However, assembling and managing the best team to provide solutions can be a tall task for contractors. To better serve customers, your team must aim to improve mobility, communication, and organization.

Read on to learn how you can make the most of your contractor team.

Identify the Problem and the Best Team to Deliver the Solution

Trade professionals form teams to enhance creativity and blend complementary skills, which enables them to solve problems faster and more effectively. However, too many team members or members who are unable to contribute valuable skills can hinder productivity.

After determining the task at hand, contractors must keep the following criteria in mind when working in teams:

• The common goals and objectives of the team.
• The necessary skills required to deliver a solution.
• The best trade professionals to include on the team.
• The optimal number of workers needed to fulfill the task.

Appoint a Team Leader

Elect a team leader to guide and manage employees to improve cohesiveness, organization and productivity. A team leader may be tasked with creating work schedules to ensure members meet deadlines, coordinating communication between members, or handling internal conflicts to keep operations running smoothly.

Team leaders should keep the following management tips in mind:

• Manage, but don’t micromanage to give team members a sense of autonomy and purpose.
• Set reasonable expectations by clearly communicating each team member’s responsibilities and by defining feasible deadlines.
• Lead by example by honoring all commitments, and encourage team members to do the same.

Related Article: Hot Work: The Safety Precautions Your Contractor team Should Be Taking

Improve Communication Between Team Members

Effective communication is key to building trust and reducing confusion among team members. It’s important for trade professionals to maintain open communication with each other to build stronger relationships and to better understand how their services fit into the larger solution.

Consider these tips for maintaining effective communication with your contractor team:

• Actively listen to team members to gain a better understanding of their roles in the solution.
• Encourage team bonding to form positive interpersonal relationships and boost communication among members.
• Play an active role in the solution by proposing new ideas and following through on your commitments.
• Value the ideas of others, and understand that each member brings unique, specialized knowledge and skills to the table.
• Promote a wider sense of ownership, so employees recognize the value of their contributions.

With the right team and leadership in place, contractors will be able to better serve customers and deliver unique solutions.