Being part of a great team at work is a phenomenal feeling. You know that feeling? It’s a sweet blend of emotions – excited, challenged, safe, and successful. You’re pumped to get out of bed in the morning and energized throughout the day.

If you know that feeling, hold onto it.

The fact of the matter is, a lot of workforces suffer from poor communication, lack of trust, and low engagement—all of which can create a toxic work environment and erode the chances of teamwork in the workplace.

The key is to give your team the right conditions to develop and grow. Think about this: if you were trying to create a thriving vegetable patch, you wouldn’t just throw some seeds around and command them to grow – “Hey you, become a carrot. Now!”

You would read the instructions, look at what they need (sunlight, lots of water, time) and provide them with that environment. It’s the same with teamwork; you need to give your team the right conditions to develop and grow.

Teamwork takes work. People have different points of views, skills, and histories. So, when bringing groups together, there is bound to be some tension at times.

However, there are ways to improve teamwork skills. Here are some tips for how to improve teamwork:

1. Know Your Goal

People in teams are working towards a common goal. At the same time, every individual may have their own smaller goals to reach. Everyone should know their goals and what they are responsible for. This way, nothing falls through the cracks. Also, everyone understands how their contribution adds to the bigger picture and value.

2. Clarify Your Roles

Within a team, everyone should also understand their responsibilities. By understanding, you can help to avoid anyone overstepping boundaries.

3. Positive Mind-set

Everything you do comes down to your mind-set. If you can help to foster a caring and supportive environment, you can help promote positive mind-sets. When problems arise, people should feel empowered to solve them. A positive mind-set also means that people feel able to address anything that comes their way.

4. Manage Time Efficiently

In teams, one person’s work may rely on another’s. So, it’s important to practice proper time management and communicate deadlines.

5. Share Enthusiasm

Everyone feels better when they receive positive feedback. It’s really important to celebrate one another and share enthusiasm.

6. Establish Team Rules and Purpose

People should feel free to share their opinions and speak candidly with one another in a team. Yet, there still needs to be some guiding rules. As a manager or leader, it’s up to you to build these and share them with the team.

7. Do Not Complain

Complaining is wasted energy. More often than not, a complaint is just a problem that has a solution. Rather than complaining about it, you can work together to solve the issue.

8. Do Not Fight Over Credit

Give credit where credit is due and celebrate all wins, even if they feel small.