How to Build More Connected, Happier & Emotionally Engaged Teams.

If you want a team that’s productive, fun to be with and emotionally engaged in their work, you need to make connection a priority.

Having trained hundreds of Hospitality teams over the years, the one trait that separates the good from the great is team connection. Connected teams keep things fresh, alive and are present in their work and with their guests. Here's how you can develop connection in your team.

Schedule Time for Connection.

Hospitality is exciting, fast-paced and ever-changing, which makes it easy to get caught up in the day to day stresses of the business. So it's vital you purposefully schedule time to build connection with your team. These can be formal appraisals or less formal coffee chats, but the most powerful is simply committing to having two or three connected conversations with team members every day. Consistency is king.

Prioritise Team Development.

Teams who are being invested in and feel like they're growing are happier in their work. Especially at a time like now, the focus on the future makes the team feel safe, secure and valued. Feeling safe, secure and valued is a great foundation to build connection. Think back to your teachers from school; the ones who made you feel safe, secure and valued would be the ones you felt the most connection with. Training shouldn't be generic, make specific goals and tailored development plans for each team member.

Listen.

Connection comes from an exchange of communication - ideally, a 50/50 exchange. Sorry to say it, but most leaders need to say less. If you want to be a better leader, stop talking and start listening. Allow your team into the conversation. So much of the time, we are just waiting for our turn to speak. Listen to understand. Not only to the words being said but to the true meaning of the message. What's the body language doing? Is there any subtext? Is there an opportunity to use open questions to explore the conversation further? A good rule of thumb is to listen to your team with the same attention and care you would listen to your guests.

Be Open.

The social psychologist Johnathan Haidt has highlighted reciprocity as the key principle that bonds people together. Simply put, reciprocity is the reciprocation of a gesture from another. So if a team member opens up to you, your job is to open up back to them and vice versa. I'm not saying these need to be deep secrets or hidden fears. It can be little things, talking about your kids, your pets, your interests not just work. Don't miss even the smallest opportunity to open up and reciprocate with your team. It's the glue that holds everyone together.

Get Outside The Business.

Meeting people across different locations builds connection. So plan time away from the business for your team. These could be supplier trips, sporting nights, volunteering in community projects, or simply going down the road for a coffee. Time outside is time well spent.

Be Authentic.

Shakespeare had it bang on when he wrote: "To Thine Own Self Be True". Being authentic is about being, present, open and truly connected to people around you. Feeling relaxed, content and not distracted by all the other things going on - if you want some more tips on being authentic, read our article on how to have more authentic conversations with your team here.

Behavioural change is a top-down process - commit to the above, and you should be on track to seeing a sizeable shift in your team culture and their ability to drive great guest experience.