How To Develop Teamwork In Modern Business
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What Is Teamwork?
Teamwork is, first of all, a qualitative evolution of working groups. It is an organized way of working among several people to achieve common goals.
In teamwork, the skills of the members are complementary, they maintain individual and mutual responsibility, as well as a marked common commitment to the objectives.
They generate positive synergy through the coordinated effort of their members. As a result, they achieve higher performance, best business, and personal satisfaction.
Definition Of Teamwork
Although there are several definitions of teamwork. Teamwork is defined as a “number of people with complementary talents who are determined to a goal, a set of performance purposes, and a shared focus, for which they hold each other accountable.
Characteristics Of Teamwork
There is the presence of a leader, who guides and leads the team but does not control it. The leadership role is shared.
Meetings are open discussions where members collaborate on problem-solving.
Clear cohesion, a collective spirit focused on tasks, and satisfaction with the quality of their work processes.
The work is discussed, it is carried out together and the cooperation between the member’s reigns. Everyone is the “engine” of the team.
The members have responsibility for themselves as well as for the team.
Performance is measured directly, through the evaluation of the products of the collective work.
Constant innovation: Existing procedures are improved or new ones are invented. It seeks to obtain the same or better results with fewer resources.
Between all of them, harmonious integration of the functions and activities to be carried out is achieved.
Roles In A Teamwork
Each team has different needs and its members should be selected in a way that ensures that all the different roles will be covered.” Robbins identifies nine potential roles on teams (on many teams, individuals play multiple roles).
Here are the nine roles in a work team.
- Integrator:Â Coordinate and integrate.
- Creator:Â Initiate creative ideas.
- Advisor:Â Stimulates the search for more information.
- Safeguard:Â Fight external battles.
- Controller:Â Examine the details and enforce the rules.
- Producer:Â Gives direction and follow-up.
- Organizer:Â Provides structure.
- Advisor:Â Offers comprehensive analysis of options.
- Promoter:Â Celebrate ideas once they are started.
Teamwork Advantages
The advantages of teamwork are undeniable. Working within a well-cohesive team has important benefits for both individuals and organizations. But it should be noted that for a team to enjoy them it must have a good organization.
In addition, that the objectives set are really common, understood, and accepted by all members. We will see some positive aspects of teamwork for both individuals and businesses.
Benefits for individuals:
Affiliation:Â Helps individuals feel part of something.
Tension:Â Work is done with less tension, stress, and frustrations decrease since the work is shared by all.
Collaborative learning and creativity: Knowledge and information are shared. More points of view are also available in decision-making processes.
Economic incentives and professional recognition are shared.
It achieves greater integration between people, promoting the development of interpersonal relationships, equity, friendship, and collaboration.
Benefits for businesses and organizations:
Increased productivity: As a result of making decisions by consensus, the quantity, and quality of work increase. In addition, there is a greater acceptance of these agreements.
Greater acceptance:Â Decisions made with the participation of the entire team are more widely accepted than decisions made by a single individual.
The collectivist spirit and commitment to the community are strengthened.
The flow of knowledge and information among workers grows, which leads to better ideas and determinations.
As points of view are more diverse, new ways of approaching problems to emerge.
Increase understanding of other workers’ perspectives.
The empowerment and commitment of the business staff are emphasized.
Importance Of Teamwork
Create synergies:Â Individual insights have a greater impact when added to others.
Strengthens companies in the face of change:Â Strong, united teams with clear goals are less permeable to crisis contexts. Synergies empower companies in the face of changes that may arise.
Establish more flexible and participatory structures: There is less dependence on hierarchies and members have a much greater margin of action. Besides, they are the perfect setting for values ​​such as solidarity, mutual collaboration, and a sense of belonging to the group and the company as a whole.
It reinforces responsibility:Â Each member assumes a role within the team and must respond to the others for the tasks assigned to them.
Promotes the development of social skills:Â The dynamics that occur within work teams allow members to develop social skills. Some examples are empathy, effective communication, and conflict resolution.
Attitudes For Teamwork
- Self-criticism: Seeking continuous improvement.
- What is badly done is not criticized, but what can be changed.
- Responsibility.
- Know that they must contribute to the success of the team. And also, to the defense of the companions.
- Loyalty to other members.
- Seek the joint benefit.
- Ability to interact cordially with other team members.
- Initiative and optimism.
- See things in a positive spirit.
Recommendations To Improve Teamwork
Teamwork is established out of necessity. Also, it is expected to produce better results. But it should not be assumed that your productivity will automatically improve.
The team must be supported. Those responsible must develop and manage the team by carrying out continuous improvement actions.
Set clear and understandable goals for all members. All members must know what they are expected to achieve. They must also understand how they will work together to achieve this.
Make up the team by competent subjects. That is members with useful skills. They must possess the technical and interpersonal skills necessary to achieve the desired common objectives.
Build and maintain mutual trust between members.
Encourage good internal communication between team members. They must share ideas and feelings quickly and effectively.
Possibility of negotiations. Members must be able to confront and reconcile their differences. They must have opportunities for negotiation to achieve internal consensus and external acceptance.
Maintain adequate and renewed leadership: guide and support the team without controlling it. We must help them realize their full potential, increase their self-confidence and take advantage of their qualities.
Offer a supportive work environment from all parts of the organization. Provide the team with adequate training, necessary resources, an incentive program that recognizes and rewards team activities, etc.