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Teamwork Skills Blog

Chris Farmer's Leadership and Management Training Blog

Chris Farmer

Welcome - the purpose of the blog page is to provide you with a never ending source of valuable, practical and entertaining information designed to help you get the best performance from yourself and others.

In these blogs you will find all the information you need to make faster progress in less time and effort. Here you will find all the information you need to achieve your goals. In addition to helping yourself to achieve your goals, you can use the same information to help others to achieve their goals.

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Teamwork Skills Blogs

Team work is important because your organisation succeeds by means of effective teams.

An effective team is defined as, “A group of two or more people who willingly work together in a spirit of cooperation with the intention to achieve a worthwhile, shared goal”.

The above definition suggests that team working depends on developing the right state of mind whereby every member of the team is working willingly, NOT begrudgingly. Each member of the team feels a sense of Cooperation, NOT uncooperative. and that the action is geared to the achievement of a shared goal, (teams whose members do not agree on the goal will fail).

Teamwork training depends on the following six skills. Agreeing a shared goal. Clear communication across the whole team. Good planning. Good conflict resolution. Positive mental attitude. A spirit of mutual cooperation.

Teamwork Skills Blogs

Boosting Team Performance

26 March 2024 Boosting Team Performance Thumbnail

Learn how clear goals, sharp communication, a solid action plan and a positive culture raise team performance, cut wasted hours and lift output by 20%.

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Tuckman's Five Stages of Team Development

29 November 2022 Tuckman's Five Stages of Team Development Thumbnail

Discover the Tuckman model's five team development stages and learn why leaders must move from description to action to raise team performance and morale.

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Characteristics of High-Performing Teams

20 September 2022 Characteristics of High-performing Teams Thumbnail

High-performing teams hit goals by mixing diverse skills, tight planning and full cooperation; trained leaders build these habits and turn effort into profit.

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Three Most Important Elements for Effective Teamwork

2 November 2021 Three Most Important Elements for Effective Teamwork Thumbnail

Learn how aligning team purpose, core values and a clear identity builds effective teamwork, speeds decisions, boosts morale and raises results by up to 21%.

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How to Deliver Virtual Training Effectively

19 October 2020 How To Deliver Virtual Training Effectively Thumbnail

Learn to deliver virtual training that captivates learners: use green screen visuals, varied tasks, clear speech and a backup plan for seamless sessions.

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Team Problem Solving

29 August 2017 Team Problem Solving Thumbnail

Learn the Mastermind Principle for team problem solving: form a small, diverse group, set a shared goal and watch creativity rise, speed and profits soar.

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Building Better Work Relationships

30 June 2017 Building Better Work Relationships Thumbnail

Learn how to build better work relationships with ten habits: avoid rows, listen first, praise, be polite, fair and upbeat, and turn conflict into team success.

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The Use and Abuse of Humour At Work

29 July 2016 The use and abuse of humour at work Thumbnail

Learn why workplace humour lifts team spirit yet turns toxic when it mocks or puts people down. Get clear tips for leaders on safe, professional humour at work.

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Be a Team Player

21 August 2015 Be a Team Player Thumbnail

Learn how to be a positive team player with easy daily habits: stay upbeat, speak kindly, keep goals in sight and cooperate to boost output and morale.

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How can I Get the Team to Work Together?

17 October 2014 How can I get the team to work together? Thumbnail

Improve teamwork by uniting your group around clear goals, logical plans and calm, fact-based talk. Learn how rational thinking lifts cooperation and cuts conf

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Coaching and Mentoring Skills

1 July 2014

Learn non directive coaching and mentoring skills. Use role modelling and coaching questions to replace directive teaching and speed up goal achievement.

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A Good Team Builder

30 January 2014

Learn how goal focused leadership turns team building into profit. Keep diverse staff united around one clear goal and watch cohesion, trust and results rise.

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Building Effective Teams

13 December 2013

Learn five clear steps for effective team building: set goals, share the plan, welcome feedback, act on bad conduct and reward good work to lift performance.

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How can I Motivate the Team?

6 November 2013

Boost team motivation with proven positive drivers. Swap threats for clear goals, praise, fair pay and friendly contests to lift energy, engagement and profit.

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Staff Development Training

6 September 2013

Learn how staff training built on goals, clear talk, plans, reasoned conflict, self motivation and inspiring leadership lifts staff performance and profit.

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How can I Improve Team Performance?

28 August 2013

Boost team performance with seven habits: goal focus, clear talk, sound plans, positive action and a feedback culture. Discover more in our two-day course.

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Staff Training Programme

22 July 2013

Effective staff training builds clear goals, smart plans and strong teams. Learn six key skills that boost motivation, productivity and ongoing improvement.

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People Management Skills - Motivation Training

11 September 2012 People Management Skills - Motivation Training Thumbnail

Discover practical motivation training that helps managers lift team motivation with seven positive rewards, avoid fear tactics and raise output by 21%.

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The 7 People Management Skills

4 April 2011 The 7 People Management Skills Thumbnail

Learn seven key people management skills; blend logic, emotion, organisation, fairness, sales and role modelling to create engaged, high-performing teams.

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Blog Categories

Accelerated Learning (6)

Accelerated learning techniques are special methods of organising information, so that you can more rapidly memorise and more accurately recall it on demand. Accelerated learning also includes mind mapping and creative thinking techniques.

Assertiveness (5)

Assertiveness is a both a communication style and a mind-set which, when combined, allows a people to express their meaning using just the amount of forcefulness, in relation to their body language, voice tone and spoken language.

Change Management (16)

Change management training is how to use the fact of continuous change, to work FOR you, rather than against you. It is a fact that all improvement implies change, but many people hate change. Change management is about training people to love change as a means of making the future better.

Coaching, Mentoring and Developing Staff (10)

There is a pressing need to develop the next generation of leaders, managers and technical experts. One way to develop staff is through coaching and mentoring. To be an effective coach and mentor is not an easy skill to master. These blogs discuss the skills of coaching, mentoring and staff development.

Communication - Clear Communication (82)

One to the most important facets of communication is clarity. Whenever you write or speak, your words should denote only one possible meaning. If your words can be properly interpreted in multiple ways, then you are creating the conditions for confusion, error and misunderstanding. These blogs discuss the nature of clear communication.

Communication - Listening Skills (6)

Communication includes the ability to attend to, understand and memorise what people say to you. Effective Listening is an active, not a passive process. These bloggs discuss what it takes to be a good listener.

Communication - Nonverbal Communication (8)

Communication includes a large visual component. How you appear, as you speak, makes a big difference to how your message is received. These blogs are about how to best use your body language. (Eye contact, posture, dress, hand and arm gestures, etc.)

Communication - Persuasive Communication (41)

Persuasion is the art of convincing others that your ideas are good, right, fair and practical, and in addition, persuasion includes motivating people to put your ideas into action. Persuasion is a key communication skill that everyone should study. These blogs discuss how to be more persuasive.

Communication - Written Communication (5)

A part of your communication is in the written form. Writing well is a skill that most people do not study, though it is of immense importance. These blogs discuss how you might improve your written communication.

Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People (28)

Conflict is inevitable, and when it occurs, you need to resolve it quickly and efficiently. Conflict management (and handling difficult people) is about managing your communication and your emotions, so that you arrive at a negotiated solution as quickly as possible. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can best manage conflict.

Decision Making and Problem Solving (22)

Decision making is the skill of selecting the best option from many options. And problem solving is the skill at determining the causes and implications of a problem and finding efficient remedies. This series of blogs discusses the elements of effective decision making and problem solving.

Goal Setting (9)

Success is the achievement of a worthwhile goal. And therefore, the first step to achieving a goal is to set it. Goal setting is the starting point of all achievement and is one of the most important topics you could study. This series of blogs discuss the elements of goal setting.

Leadership and Management (153)

Leadership is the art of setting a clear goal and inspiring others to achieve it. Management is the art of organising resources so as to most efficiently achieve that goal. This series of blogs discuss the details of leadership and management.

Mental Health (12)

Mental health is the skill of managing your own mind so as to achieve mental stability and a high degree of rationality. Mental ill health is the opposite, mental instability and irrational actions. This series of blogs, discusses how you might manage your mind.

Motivation (35)

Motivation is an emotion that induces action. Without motivation, nobody would achieve anything of value. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can motivate yourself and others.

Other (45)

Whilst interesting and informative in their own right, these blogs don't fit into a category.

People Management (13)

People management is a combination of skills including goal setting, communication, planning, handling conflict and motivation skills. This series of blogs discusses people management skills.

Personal Development (75)

The best investment you can make is in your own personal development. If you develop your skills, knowledge and experience, then you will maximise your potential to produce excellent results. This series of blogs looks at the details of personal development.

Personal Effectiveness (87)

You are not paid for how hard you work; you are paid for your effectiveness. It is possible to improve your effectiveness and get more valuable work done in less time and effort. This series of blogs discusses how you might improve your personal effectiveness and therefore speed up your rate of progress.

Positive Thinking (9)

The quality of your results is based upon the quality of your actions. And your actions are controlled by your thoughts. To simultaneously improve both your material results and your mental health, it is vital to develop the skills of positive thinking.

Stress Management (4)

Stress can be both good for you and bad for you. Good Stress triggers improvement. Bad stress grinds you down. Stress management is about using stress to help you to improve, and to avoid the negative effects of too much stress. These blogs discuss the various aspects of stress management.

Supervisory Management Skills (4)

Supervisory management skills are a combination of five major skill sets, setting goals, communication skills, planning, performance management and motivation. These blogs discuss the details of supervisory management skills.

Team Leadership (7)

For the most part, we all work in teams. Leading the team effectively can make all the difference to the performance of the team, as a whole. This series of blogs discuss the details of team leadership.

Teamwork (19)

Teams are often composed of people who have very different personalities and skills. In order to perform well, the members of the team must work well together and play to each other’s strengths. This series of blogs covers the importance of team work skills.

Time Management (17)

Time management is about prioritising, planning, organising and delegating, so that, at any moment, you are always adding the most value, and setting the conditions for your future success. This series of blogs investigates how you might better manage your time.