In a group where everyone knows their role, tasks flow as smoothly as when a relay team passes the baton in a long-distance race.

Trust levels are high, and no responsibilities ever slip from the fingertips of a team member.

So how can managers work on team coordination and elevate their groups to new levels of harmony? That’s what we’re showing you in today’s article.

Let’s crack the case of team coordination wide-open.

What exactly is “team coordination” in a company?

Team coordination refers to the strategies and processes that make each section of a team project click together. It does involve high levels of communication and collaboration, but a well-coordinated team can work separately to achieve a common goal, without having to work directly together all the time.

At its core, coordination boils down to three main components:

• Balance: Coordination means divvying up tasks smartly so no one’s drowning or overwhelmed with the workload.
• Timing: Everything needs to stay on a coordinated schedule, from the first task to the finish line.
• Integration: All project parts come together seamlessly to create one cohesive result.

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Why does it matter so much? Well, without coordination, even the most talented team can feel like they’re running on the spot. Like that feeling you get when you’re stuck in a dream, you give maximum effort and still don’t move forward. Uncoordinated efforts can create bottlenecks or duplicate tasks in a project, so workplace energy goes completely to waste. 

There are many ways of going about amplifying your team’s ability to coordinate their efforts, so you’ll be enabling their transformation into a team that crushes goals and conquers targets.

What are the different types of team coordination?

Not all coordination looks the same between different companies, it can depend on your organization’s structure and how your teams get along with each other. Coordination makes sure tasks, timelines, and processes all stay in sync as projects roll in.

Below we’ve listed the main types of coordination for you to consider for your teams:

Vertical coordination: aligning leadership and teams

For most organizations, vertical coordination is one of the most important aspects that helps the company run smoothly. This is where the big-picture goals from leadership are broken down into actionable steps for your teams to carry out. Getting this one right makes sure everyone knows what they’re working toward.

Leaders also play a key role in vertical coordination, sharing updates, and creating spaces for honest feedback. They share updates, expectations, and goals in a way that’s digestible and easy to understand. On top of this, team members should be able to provide feedback and raise concerns in an honest space where management hears them.

Horizontal coordination: keeping teams aligned across departments

Horizontal coordination is where a manager takes a moment to step back and let teams communicate with each other. Unlike vertical coordination, this isn’t about hierarchy or the order of work, it’s a coordinated effort for a smooth workflow between groups.

If the organization as a whole is like the human body, with management being at the head, then horizontal coordination is like the connective tissue of the company. Horizontal coordination certainly can come with its own challenges, like teams having their own priorities, workflows, or even languages (whether that’s marketing vs tech jargon or actual differences in mother tongue). Effective communication channels support teams to overcome horizontal coordination challenges in the work arena.

Strong horizontal coordination aims to break apart “siloed work,” where workers or teams isolate themselves from help. Horizontal coordination strives to build support networks between teams when top-down coordination isn’t available, which is extremely valuable in a fast-paced business environment.

External and internal coordination

In addition to horizontal and vertical coordination, a company needs strong external coordination to keep relationships with stakeholders and customers healthy. Coordinating in business does not stop at the office walls, and companies should recognize the effort needed to keep things aligned both inside and outside of their day-to-day operations. 

Internal coordination keeps all the cogs turning within the organization, like the way your departments sync up and how teams hit their goals. Internal coordination is generally easier to manage, and you can opt for your own in-house communication channels that keep everyone on the same page.

External coordination can be a little more tricky as you’re dipping into relationships outside of the everyday team. It involves managing clients, vendors, partners, and stakeholders, and it’s integral to be able to coordinate your external partnerships. Being able to coordinate with outside parties makes sure you stay aligned with the outside world whenever the market changes.

How can I improve team coordination at work?

So what are the actionable steps you can take to amplify the way your teams coordinate with each other? Below we’ve got every base covered to make sure your teams click together and synergize their group efforts:

Picking the right leaders

Starting our list of areas to focus on, team coordination can be massively improved when you select and trust in the right leaders. Whether you’re focused on horizontal or vertical coordination, a good team leader can adapt to the messages of management and carry them across departments and groups.

A bit like a valuable and accurate messenger, the right leader can swiftly coordinate efforts when groups need to work together. This person should be looked at as your “coordination lead” or “point person,” ready to be supported and trusted in team efforts. Traits to look for in the right leader are effective communication, problem-solving, and decision-making, as well as some softer skills like being approachable and adaptable. 

Great coordination starts with great leadership, and when you’ve found the right team leader to back, involve them more heavily with corporate communications and operations. When they take part in corporate activities they’ll feel more trusted and valued, which can pay dividends over time. Have them present for all-hands meetings with executives and watch them flourish in a leadership role. 

Team leaders don’t need to stay static either. It can hugely benefit your organization to create rotational leadership roles for each new project and watch how their skills align. When you get the right people steering the ship, smooth coordination is just a matter of course.

Ramp up your communication

For optimized team coordination, communication is king (or queen - no bias here!). If the flow of information isn’t free, whether that’s horizontal or vertical, you will very soon hit bottlenecks and miss your targets. It would be like trying to build a magnificent architectural structure without any blueprints. Disaster awaits the construction team!

You need to focus on three main areas to amplify your communication: clarity, consistency, and accessibility. 

• Firstly, have a focused review of the clarity in your current communication channels, like group messaging boards, email systems, and task management software. Communication should be easy to digest for your teams and organized simply and attractively on the clearest platform.

• Next, be consistent with team communication. Use regular check-ins, daily stand-ups, and weekly team huddles. Turn them into teambuilding events for more than just updates; make them a chance for teams to tackle roadblocks and share recent wins. If a person has an idea, encourage them to share it! If they’re stuck on a task, they needn’t think twice before asking for help!

• Finally, create an accessible storage database, for both on-site and remote workers. Record the details of how to complete tasks for teams to return to, and ensure those project resources are easy to find and navigate through.

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Projects run much more smoothly when your communication is clear and effective. Open the channels of discussion and watch your team members easily coordinate their efforts!

Establish and align everyone’s goals and objectives

So if you’ve got your superstar leaders set up and your communication channels flowing as freely as springwater, the next thing you should focus on is aligning team goals. If you don’t set clear goals and objectives for the group, you’re creating lots of motion, but no progress.

Having misaligned groups is like setting out on a teambuilding hike without settling on one destination. Each member heads up the mountain a different way, which can easily lead to people becoming lost, and is dangerous when you need to regroup. 

The solution is to create overarching team goals, and then break them down into smaller, actionable objectives. The performance of each team member should fit into the bigger picture. If everyone knows their role it’s much easier to stay in sync and keep all efforts coordinated.

Try to avoid being vague when goal-setting. A line like “improve efficiency” simply won’t highlight clearly enough the steps your teams need to take. Opt for clearer quotas like “reduce project turnaround by 10% over 3 months” to help create measurable actions. 

Goals may evolve over time, so make sure your teams aren’t just moving forward, but moving together. This way you’re building team bonds as well as helping people hit personal objectives.

Clarify accountability and make it part of your culture

The next action to take once team goals are aligned is to establish a culture of accountability. At a basic level, accountability provides answers to “who does what?” in the group and removes confusion. Each component in the larger machine (that is, the team) carries out its responsibilities and makes team output greater than the sum of its parts.

For every project, assign who’s doing what, when it’s due, and how you will measure success. There can be no “someone will handle it” when it comes to important tasks, that’s just asking for chaos later down the line. Get to grips with tools like shared task trackers or Kanban boards that create results that are easy to track. 

Your aim is not to create a culture of finger-pointing when something goes wrong, as it’s ultimately the manager’s job to make sure the right person is picked for every task. A culture of accountability, when done right, actually becomes a system of celebrating successes and motivating employees. 

If, or when, any mishaps do occur, focus on solutions before dishing out blame. Use accountability team-building activities and lead by example. You’ll be setting the right tone for everyone else around you. Embody accountability, don’t just assign it!

Make accountability an integral part of your workplace and people can coordinate their efforts with trust and clarity. 

Explore teamwork recognition programs

Can you think of any team that got far without ever being rewarded or recognized? We can’t, either. Recognition programs are a powerful way to improve the way your teams coordinate with one another. After all, a team that’s appreciated is one that stays motivated!

Start small with shout-outs in your huddles and team meetings, and include them in your virtual messaging boards. Acknowledge a masterclass in teamwork when you see it and never let outstanding work go unnoticed. 

Outside of shout-outs, have team recognition rewards ready for those quarterly or annual ceremonies. Extrinsic and intrinsic rewards go a long way to show your teams that you’re ready to celebrate their efforts in coordination. Electronic gift cards, extra paid holidays, and enrollment into development programs can all be used to create a powerful reward system. These work best with a long-term points-based system where teams can nominate each other for rewards.

When you boil it down, teamwork recognition programs create a positive ripple effect that gets the most out of coordinated working. The more teams feel appreciated, the more likely they are to show up in a teammate’s time of need. So make sure you’ve nailed your recognition programs to make coordination second nature among your standout teams!

Harness technology for coordinating efforts

Trying to up the levels of team coordination when you aren’t using the right tools is an uphill battle, with roller-skates on. The right collaboration tools make life so much easier for teams to coordinate their tasks and their vision.

There are plenty of tools out there to kickstart a tech overhaul if it’s needed in your workplace. Here’s a breakdown that covers all bases of tech for coordination:

• Teleconferencing: If your teams have gone partially remote then video and voice calls are lifelines for coordinating efforts. Make sure your teleconferencing systems are as strong as possible with equipment that makes tasks easier and reliable internet connections.

• Web-based collaboration tools: Even if your teams aren’t remote, a good online collaboration tool like Trello or Asana can help keep everything organized in one place. There’s no more need to be digging through emails to find a single file from last week.

• Mobile apps: A lot of team coordination happens while team members are on-the-go, with apps like Slack and Notion. Whether team members are sharing files or ticking off completed tasks, mobile apps keep the momentum going when it’s really needed.

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Each technology has its strengths, so the key is to match the tool to your team's needs. Finding the right tech fit makes coordinated efforts so much easier, so ask your teams for a run-down on how you can support them.

Use skill development workshops

Skill development workshops are an underrated weapon for team coordination. When carried out properly they massively upgrade the team’s toolkit and open the doors for new opportunities. A workshop filled with teambuilding activities and coordination under pressure can work wonders for more tightly connected teams. 

Try out a “Mission: Impossible” team workshop where each group is tasked with recovering a “stolen” company secret hidden in a series of locked cases. Hand each team their “classified dossier” outlining the mission. Example challenges could be:

• One challenge might involve solving a cryptic puzzle that requires input from multiple people, or four hands being used in synchronicity.

• Another could involve guiding a blindfolded teammate through a “laser” obstacle course (created with tape or string). Tasks are designed so no one person can complete them alone, so coordination is a must!

• Teams can pool their resources from previous tasks to unlock the final case and “save the company”.

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Small team workshops like these create a fun and immersive environment. The only way through is with teamwork and coordinated group efforts, where everyone needs to rely on their teammates’ strengths. 

Seal the deal for team coordination with a productive team retreat!

Our final recommendation is the ultimate step in aligning all team members with organizational goals. A positive and productive team-building retreat can bring your company benefits that last for decades. 

Here at Surf Office, organizing team retreats is what we do best.  

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Here’s what we offer:

• Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
• Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
• Engaging team-building activities? Our speciality ✅
• Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
• Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
• Onsite support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅

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Not only this but we also have access to 160+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US, Latin America, and now Africa, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.

Bring coordination and team bonds to never-before-seen levels with an unforgettable work retreat that reinvigorates team spirit.

Let us sort out the tricky logistics for you. Spaces are very limited, so get in touch now!