The team spirit at work refers to a group’s ability to coordinate its efforts, share information, and maintain a collective commitment towards a common goal. Strengthening this dynamic is not limited to organizing an annual seminar or a one-off team-building workshop. Sustainable cohesion relies on specific organizational conditions, often invisible in the usual advice.
Coordination in hybrid work: the true lever of team cohesion
Most guides on team spirit focus on communication and collective activities. These tips lose their relevance when part of the group works remotely and the other on-site. Eurofound emphasizes that hybrid work directly transforms the role of the manager and requires new forms of coordination to preserve cohesion and equity between on-site and remote employees.
The central issue is not the lack of contact, but the asymmetry of access to information. A remote worker misses out on informal exchanges, decisions made in passing, and subtle signals about the progress of a project. Without explicit rules, this asymmetry creates two categories of members within the same group.
Three mechanisms can help reduce this imbalance:
- Document every decision made in meetings in a shared channel accessible to all, including those who were not physically present.
- Set weekly visibility slots for work (brief progress updates, shared boards) so that each member knows where others stand without needing to ask.
- Alternate meeting formats: when part of the team is remote, the entire meeting should be held via video, even for those present on-site, to equalize participation conditions.
Platforms like goall.fr facilitate the structuring of shared objectives and collective tracking, which helps maintain visibility among dispersed collaborators.
Onboarding and integration of new members into a team
A close-knit group can become fragile with each poorly prepared arrival. Pluxee, in a publication dedicated to work collectives in 2024, recommends creating opportunities to meet and carefully integrate new members to preserve the collective dynamic.
The integration of a collaborator conditions their sense of belonging for several months. An onboarding limited to a quick introduction and the sending of an internal guide is not enough to create a bond with the existing group.
What works beyond the first day
Pairing each newcomer with a reference buddy (not their direct manager) helps create a channel for informal questions. This buddy plays a role in translating the implicit codes of the group: who to contact for what issue, what the unwritten rituals are, how decision-making actually works.
Scheduling a follow-up meeting at one month, then at three months, with the entire team (not just the manager) gives the new member a space to express their observations. This feedback also benefits the group, as a fresh perspective often identifies dysfunctions that the veterans no longer perceive.
Right to disconnect: an underestimated lever of team spirit
The link between disconnection and team cohesion may seem indirect. In reality, it is very concrete. When some employees respond to messages in the evening and on weekends while others do not, a silent fracture appears. The former perceive the latter as less involved. The latter perceive the former as imposing an implicit norm of constant availability.
The right to disconnect requires a collective rule, not an individual choice. Without a clear framework, cohesion deteriorates due to the accumulation of unexpressed resentments.
Establish a clear rule for the group
The most effective approach is to collectively formalize availability windows. Not in an HR charter that no one reads, but during a team discussion where everyone expresses their constraints. The manager then establishes a simple rule: no professional solicitation outside of a defined time frame, except in case of a defined emergency.
This framework protects both highly engaged employees (who do not know how to stop) and those who need clear boundaries to remain calm. The result is a perceived equity that strengthens trust among group members.
Collective monitoring of workload and team motivation
Pluxee also recommends regularly gauging motivation and collectively monitoring workload. This point goes far beyond individual management. When a group member is overloaded without others knowing, the imbalance creates frustration on both sides: the one carrying too much feels isolated, while others do not understand their delays or irritability.
Making workload visible within the team (without turning every day into reporting) changes the dynamic. A shared board updated weekly, where everyone indicates their priorities and workload level, is enough to allow for spontaneous adjustments.
Team solidarity arises from visibility, not goodwill. A collaborator is more likely to offer help if they can see that their colleague is overwhelmed, rather than having to guess.
Gauge motivation without making it a hollow ritual
Quarterly satisfaction surveys rarely generate concrete actions. A more useful format: dedicate five minutes at the end of the weekly meeting to a quick roundtable on the group’s energy. No score, no form, just an open question. This short ritual detects signs of fatigue or demotivation before they become cohesion problems.
Team spirit is not decreed during an annual event. It is built through daily mechanisms of visibility, equity, and coordination adapted to the reality of hybrid work. Teams that formalize their collaboration rules, properly integrate their new members, and collectively monitor workload have a foundation that team-building activities complement, not replace.
