What do you do if your brand's teamwork is hindering the building of a strong brand identity?

It is a crucial first step. I would like to highlight a couple of things to consider such as: Team Dynamics: Are there any conflicts, or misunderstandings that could be stopping the progress? Clarity of Goals: understand whether team members have a clear understanding of the objectives. Maybe they didn’t get it clearly or they don’t understand their role in achieving them. Skills: double check if team members have the required expertise to contribute. The identified gaps can be easily fixed through training. Communication Channels: are they being used? Or maybe there are language barriers, or trust issues? Feedback Mechanisms: check them. Are team members encouraged to share their ideas for improving the brand identity-building process?

Every new brand strategy build will have a group of believers, a group of adapters and a group of laggards. Real brand strategy isn’t going to cater to the laggards. It will inspire the adapters and speak right to where the believers want to go. From the start of your strategy process, point out who is going to be your biggest cheerleader who might be your hardest aggressor. From there learn to weave the message in a way that invites the whole team into the process, but speaks to what the customer needs and proves that their message will be right.

I would say, depending on the organisation, of course, but involving key stakeholders is 50% of success at this point. Ensure that key stakeholders, including team members, managers, and leadership, are involved in the objective-setting process. Their input and perspectives will help make sure that the objectives are relevant and achievable. Prioritization of objectives is also vital. Identify the most critical objectives that will have the greatest impact on improving teamwork and building a strong brand identity. Prioritize these objectives based on their importance and feasibility.

Creating an environment where anyone feels comfortable voicing their opinions is essential. If people worry that their ideas will be shut down, they will never offer new ideas or feedback.

I want to share some things that really worked to bring my diverse and totally remote team into feeling like they are holding hands: Transparency: Be transparent about decisions, processes, and information that affects the team. Active Listening: Encourage active listening by paraphrasing and summarising what others have said to ensure understanding. This is basic respect. Provide constructive feedback to team members on their communication skills and ask back. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement. Provide training and resources on effective communication techniques, negotiation skills, conflict resolution, and assertiveness. Invest in team-building activities and workshops to strengthen communication skills.

While everyone may not be best friends, it's better to encourage various perspectives than have a team of people who agree 100% of the time. It's easier to elevate your brand when your team members have varying opinions and are open to constructive criticism.

Gartner Strengthfinder technique has helped me tremendously to get the best out of my multinational team. By giving opportunity to enhance their strong abilities and not feel bad about those that are weaker, you create a highly motivational and collaborative atmosphere within the team where everyone is an ally as opposed to competitors.

Demonstrate a commitment to teamwork and collaboration through your own actions and behaviors as a leader. Lead by example by actively participating in team discussions, soliciting input from others, and valuing diverse perspectives. Invest in training and development opportunities to enhance team members' skills and knowledge related to brand identity development and implementation. Building expertise within the team can strengthen collaboration and drive better results.

I could not agree more that knowing the fundamentals is key. Here are some things that helped me to make brand identity trainings for the team more comprehensive and fun: Incorporate a variety of interactive learning methods to keep participants engaged and motivated. This could include group discussions, case studies, role-playing exercises, hands-on activities, simulations, and multimedia presentations. Use real-world examples relevant to the team's background or specific challenges they face. This helps participants connect theory to practice and understand the practical implications of the training material.

While a team that is in full rapport is fun to be in, it may also lead to group think, a situation where members happily agree with each other and there is lack of independent thinking. When this happens, it is best to shake the team up a little. This may be done through some competition that leads to individual rewards, or encouraging competitive games. Be careful not to jeopardize team harmony too much when using these methods however.