Important Team Building Skills That Employers Value

When a group works well together, it achieves the best results. That's why employers want to hire people with team building skills. Good team builders are able to help groups work together well and meet their goals.

Being able to build and manage a successful team is a qualification for many different types of jobs. If you’re being considered for a position that requires managing or being part of a team, you will need to show that you have the team building skills necessary for the job.

The best way to do that is to share examples of your skills and how you used them in the workplace in your job application materials, and during interviews.

What Are Team Building Skills?

What is team building? Team building is knowing how to help individuals work as a cohesive group where all members feel invested in the direction and accomplishments of the team. All members have input towards developing goals and defining the steps to take to reach those goals. Everyone is able to work together to achieve the group's objectives.

Even though companies want all of their employees to have team building skills, they are particularly important for managers, supervisors, and outside consultants that oversee groups of employees.

Types of Team Building Skills

Communication

If you are helping to unite a team, you need to have strong communication skills. Using both written and verbal communication skills, you will have to explain company goals, delegate tasks, resolve conflicts between members, and more. It is important that you are able to clearly express ideas in ways that others can understand.

In order to problem solve and make sure every team member feels heard, you will also have to listen. You will need to understand the concerns of every member so that they each feel that they are being considered and appreciated.

• Clarity
• Specificity
• Facilitating Group Discussion
• Interpersonal
• Active Listening
• Reading Body Language (Nonverbal Communication)
• Written Communication
• Verbal Communication

Problem Solving

When team building, you will need to solve problems. These might include issues related to the group’s goals. However, these might also include interpersonal problems between group members.

A team builder must help to resolve both. He or she needs to be a mediator who can listen to two sides of a problem and help everyone come to an agreement. The goal of a team builder is to solve problems in a way that helps the team achieve its goals and keeps its members working well together.

• Brainstorming
• Achieving Consensus
• Conflict Resolution
• Mediation
• Negotiation
• Problem Sensitivity
• Analytical Skills
• Flexibility

Leadership

Being a team builder often requires assuming a leadership role for a team. You need to make decisions when there is conflict, establish group goals, and work with team members who are not producing their best. All of this requires leadership and management skills.

• Aligning Team Goals with Company Goals
• Decision Making
• Establishing Standard Operating Procedure
• Hiring
• Management
• Firing
• Talent Management
• Consistency
• Integrity

Teamwork

While being a good leader is important in team building, so is being a good team player. You can help build a strong team by showing the team what it means to work well in a group.

You will need to collaborate and cooperate with team members, listen to their ideas, and be open to taking and applying their feedback.

• Ability to Follow Instructions
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Cooperation
• Reliability
• Responding to Constructive Criticism
• Proactivity

Motivation

A team builder gets other team members excited about setting and achieving project goals. This kind of motivational energy can take many forms. Perhaps you come to work every day with a positive attitude, or maybe you encourage your other teammates with positive feedback.

Another way to motivate team members is to provide incentives. These might range from bonuses and other financial rewards to extra days of fun group activities. A team builder can think of creative ways to inspire the team to do its best.

• Mentoring New Leaders
• Developing Relationships
• Encouragement
• Persuasive
• Recognizing and Rewarding Group Achievements

Delegation

A good team builder knows he or she cannot complete group tasks alone. Team builders clearly and concisely lay out each team member’s responsibilities. This way, everyone is responsible for a piece of the group goal.

Good delegation leads to project efficiency, and it can help a group achieve a goal on time or even ahead of schedule.

• Assign Roles
• Defining Objectives
• Scheduling
• Setting and Managing Expectations
• Time Management
• Project Management

More Team Building Skills

• Positive Reinforcement
• Negative Reinforcement
• Human Resources
• Customer Service
• Assessing Group Progress
• Coaching
• Identifying the Strengths and Weaknesses of Team Members
• Training
• Creativity
• Creating Mission Statements
• Creating Milestones
• Coordinating
• Evaluating
• Goal Oriented
• Resilience
• Innovation
• Empathy
• Imagination
• Passionate About Diversity
• Interviewing
• Integration
• Versatility
• Concision
• Confidence
• Process Management
• Ongoing Improvement
• Presentation