It is only natural to have at least experienced/witnessed “free-riders” in a team, even if you know for sure that lots of work can be done in a quicker timeline. That concludes one of the characteristics of your team being less productive. Let's look at the following recipe to form a productive team!

You can improve the way you communicate with your team members. Communicating with empathy can influence a person's opinion. Your team members will feel cared for and will be willing to open up to you. Avoid words that can bring other people down. This can make a person hesitant to express his thoughts and opinions in the future.

Convey the ideas that you are thinking of in a respectful manner. Don't be afraid to share your thoughts and opinions. However, like you want to be heard yourself, be open and listen to other people's opinions as well. It could be others’ opinions that may open up new perspectives and insights. Your team members will feel appreciated and be motivated to contribute in the future. 

Examples can make work easier for you and your teammates. The work will be easier to understand, thus shortening the processing time. Errors in work can also be minimized with examples. Be a good example to your teammates, and that you value the team’s time, effort, and work. 

And voila! This is a simple recipe that you can apply for your productive team! Do you have others in mind? Share it in the comments below!