Where your team members are located or how well they work together is as important as what you do to structure and motivate them to be more collaborative in the first place.

Here are four ways to do that.

• Start By Defining the Roles

When you first assemble your team, you need to do some thinking about how each person fits into your hierarchy and strategy. Your team may have a lot of overlap in responsibilities or specific roles that need to be filled. As a leader, you may have general directives that everyone needs to follow.

It is your job to define each role and clearly state what it entails (and what it doesn’t). Once you’ve defined everyone’s roles and started putting them into action, everyone will know exactly what they should be doing at any given time. That way no one will waste time stepping on anyone else’s toes or freelancing by taking on too much responsibility.

• Encourage Team Building Activities

Taking employees on a team-building retreat isn’t just a fun way to bond—it’s a great way to encourage collaboration and communication. Some studies suggest that team-building exercises are even more effective than working face-to-face in an office environment; it’s easier for people to bounce ideas off each other during short exercise periods, rather than having to wait until they meet back at the office. Plus, organizing company events lets you better understand your employees as people while giving them new perspectives on one another. The next time you plan out a retreat or party with your teammates, use these exercises as inspiration.

• Don’t Let Your Ego Get in The Way

Having a motivated team is an important part of running a successful business. It’s often one of our top priorities as entrepreneurs and it can be difficult to figure out how to structure your team and manage people to reach all your company goals. Some entrepreneurs think they must step on others’ toes to achieve their own, but that’s not always true. You don’t have to shut down your employees for your business goals to be met—you just need some organization skills, strategic planning, and motivational tactics.

• Communicate More Often

You need to find ways to stay in touch with your team members. The more often you can communicate, especially when working remotely, the easier it will be to collaborate on projects. So, use technologies like text messages and video calls (via skype or google hangouts) to establish open lines of communication. If possible, schedule regular meetings where everyone can get together face-to-face—even if just virtually. This can help keep things in perspective and foster trust within your team. Leaders like Nathan Garries should establish open communication between the leader and the subordinates to strengthen the teams’ collaboration. Nathan Garries is a Certified International Wealth Manager designation that covers Advanced Retirement Management

Conclusion

A lot of companies do team-building exercises and try to get their employees to become more collaborative. However, they often forget that a company is not just a collection of individuals. They are forgetting that everyone on their team has their own lives and their own goals, so working together might not be as easy as just sitting down for a weekly meeting and communicating about what each person needs to accomplish for work. So instead of trying to get your employees to collaborate in teams, start by organizing them into self-sufficient teams that have structure, motivation, communication channels (internal or external), and time commitments designed around each person’s specific needs.