Leading edge

As the housing world expands to include fields ranging from community regeneration to antisocial behaviour, no one person working in the sector will have the solution to every problem. You will often find you must rely on the expertise and knowledge of your colleagues. For this reason, teamwork is an integral part of the work you do.

If your team doesn’t gel, as an individual you will fail to serve your customers properly.

So what can you do to make sure your team is working well?

First, it is important to make sure the team shares the same understanding of goals, tasks and problems. You need to reach a consensus on these things, which cannot be achieved without a lot of discussion and listening. Organise regular meetings to review your progress towards your aims and keep discussing and agreeing new targets.

Team members must not be afraid to disagree with and challenge each other to solve problems. These discussions can only take place in an informal and relaxed atmosphere in which people are free to express their thoughts. This may sound at odds with usual notions of a formal, corporate environment, but it makes all the difference to successful teamwork. So go to the pub or take the initiative to suggest other social activities with colleagues occasionally. And be prepared to accept constructive criticism.

A successful housing team will contain a mix of individuals who all possess different strengths and weaknesses. Individual team members should fit together like pieces in a big jigsaw to form a seamless whole and display the range of skills needed. This broad skill set may not be an inherent feature of every team, but you can work towards it together by identifying and discussing any gaps. This is where a good working relationship will help. Then ask your employer to provide team members with training and development to strengthen the team.