Critical Camaraderie: Leadership Must Have!

Camaraderie: noun;  comradeship; good-fellowship. 

A manager with whom I worked recently was deeply concerned about the decline in sales his store was

experiencing.  Naturally, he was responsible for the sales numbers in his store and was in danger of losing his job if things didn't improve.  I was happy to help.  I was able to diagnose the issue swiftly.  The environment was  uneasy and tense because, simply put, the team was missing an important ingredient: camaraderie.

This is a critical ingredient in the recipe for success within any organization, on any project that requires multiple people and within any team oriented environment. Personalities clash causing inevitable schisms and creating destructive fault lines that weaken structural integrity.  Camaraderie needs to be encouraged, fostered and nurtured on a continuous basis. 

If you are a leader and want to ensure success, or if your organization is experiencing troublesome productivity issues the first place to look is amongst your team, and ask yourself these important questions:

1- Do they work well together?

And I don't mean in general.  I mean... are they respectful and considerate?  Do they like each other? Do they lust each other? (This can cause unwanted and detrimental drama).  Do they go out and spend time after work?  Are they laughing? Smiling?  Are gossiping about each other? Take note of any  negatives within the social climate. Nurture the positives  while working to reduce possible detriments.

2 - Who is the leader?

You are, yes, but if you are the manager or supervisor, you are the "boss" and there is a separation.  This is rightly so but the fact remains. Think of it this way: You are the coach, but who is the quarterback? The team captain?  In every social situation, all of the personality archetypes will be filled and the workplace is no exception to this rule of nature.  This means that the strongest personality amongst your team will become the natural "leader" who will act as a sort of liaison between you and them - if ever need be.   Identify who that is and decide whether he/she and you are communicating clearly and openly.  This pseudo leader is the lynchpin between successfully leading your team - and not.

3- Are they happy?

This matters.  Since Ben and Jerry's was ranked the top corporation for which to work, more and more studies have been conducted that prove consistently, that happy employees perform more productively. It's really a no-brainer; people go above and beyond when they know they are appreciated, and when this cycle continues, it's a natural motivator.

These 3 elements are critical because they all determine whether or not you are fostering an environment of camaraderie.  Where camaraderie is not present, productivity suffers because people dislike unpleasant social environments - period.

If your office or organization needs help,  me how you can restore the foundation and build a stronger atmosphere for successful productivity, by fostering camaraderie.

P.S.  If you found this helpful, be sure to follow for more resourceful insights on leadership development and productivity!

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