Your team is struggling to work together. What’s the first step you should take?

1 Identify the problem

The first step is to identify the problem that is affecting your team’s performance and cohesion. Is it a lack of trust, communication, clarity, or accountability? Is it a conflict of personalities, values, or goals? Is it a gap in skills, resources, or support? You can use various tools and methods to assess your team’s strengths and weaknesses, such as surveys, interviews, feedback sessions, or SWOT analysis. The key is to be honest, objective, and open-minded about the issues and their impact.

3 Clarify roles and goals

The third step is to clarify roles and goals for your team and each individual. Roles and goals are essential for providing direction, motivation, and accountability. You need to define and communicate what your team’s mission, vision, and objectives are, and how they relate to the larger emergency management plan. You also need to assign and communicate what each team member’s responsibilities, tasks, and deliverables are, and how they contribute to the team’s success. You can use various tools and methods to clarify roles and goals, such as SMART goals, RACI matrix, or action plans. The key is to be specific, measurable, and realistic in your expectations.

4 Support and empower

The fourth step is to support and empower your team and each individual. Support and empowerment are essential for enhancing skills, confidence, and autonomy. You need to provide and facilitate the resources, training, and mentoring that your team needs to perform their roles and achieve their goals. You also need to delegate and encourage your team to make decisions, solve problems, and innovate within their scope of authority. You can use various tools and methods to support and empower your team, such as coaching, feedback, recognition, or incentives. The key is to be flexible, responsive, and appreciative in your approach.

5 Monitor and evaluate

The fifth step is to monitor and evaluate your team’s progress and performance. Monitoring and evaluation are essential for tracking results, identifying gaps, and adjusting strategies. You need to collect and analyze data and indicators that measure your team’s outputs, outcomes, and impacts. You also need to review and reflect on your team’s processes, practices, and behaviors. You can use various tools and methods to monitor and evaluate your team, such as indicators, reports, audits, or surveys. The key is to be consistent, systematic, and data-driven in your assessment.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?