TEAMWORK
"Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success."
-Author Unknown
WHY IS TEAMWORK
IMPORTANT?
Creates Synergy, Less Hierarchy
• Creates synergy
• Supports an empowered way of working
• Promotes less hierarchy among employees
• Encourages multi-disciplinary work
• Fosters flexibility and responsiveness
• Pleases customers who like working with teams
• Promotes sense of achievement
Output Quality, Morale, and Retention
• There are a number of downsides to working alone that
affect output quality and morale:
• Working alone makes it harder to get early and continual
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design feedback, thereby decreasing output quality.
Working alone reduces learning.
Working on a team increases the bus factor for a project.
Working on a team increases accountability.
Slower project momentum from working alone reduces
morale.
The highs of a project are more motivating when working as
a team.
The lower morale from solo projects also tends to mean
lower employee happiness and consequently lower retention.
TEAMWORK AT WORK
Bond
• Teamwork provides employees with an opportunity to
bond with one another, which improves relations among
them.
• Workers feel valued upon the successful completion of
tasks.
• Enhances respect for each other.
• Increases cohesion among members, thanks to increased
trust among team members.
Teamwork helps employees…
• Bond—becoming more familiar with each other
• Cooperate—Learning how to work together.
Cooperate
• Opportunity for new workers to learn from more
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experienced employees.
Acquire skills that didn’t have previously.
Challenge each others’ ideas.
Find solution that contributes to successful completion of
task.
Reduces work pressure for individual workers.
Important for Company and Employee
• Teamwork is important and vital to the success of the
company and to the development of each employee.
• Delegation
• Efficiency
• Ideas
• Support
Delegation
• Divide up tasks so most qualified person completes them.
• Accomplish job tasks the best way possible.
"There are few, if any, jobs in which ability alone is sufficient.
Needed, also, are loyalty, sincerity, enthusiasm and team play."
-William B. Given, Jr.
Efficiency
• A task is given to an efficient team and the team's work
pace assures that it will be completed quickly and
accurately.
• Result: The company can take on more work and generate more
revenue.
• Employee’s level of interest also positively influences
efficiency or speed of output.
Ideas
• Teams meet to discuss how to solve company issues.
• Staff members feel comfortable brainstorming.
• Company benefits from suggestions.
Support
• Strong team environment can act as a support
mechanism for staff members.
• Help each other improve performance and professional
development.
• Team members rely on and trust each other.
AN EFFECTIVE TEAM
PLAYER
What defines such people?
Demonstrates Reliability
• Gets work done
• Does fair share to work hard and meet commitments.
• Follows through on assignments.
• Consistency is key.
• Delivers good performance all the time.
Communicates Constructively
• Speaks up and expresses thoughts and ideas clearly,
directly, honestly, and with respect for others and for the
work of the team.
• Does not shy away from making a point but makes it in
the best way possible—in a positive, confident, and
respectful manner.
Listens Actively
• Can absorb, understand, and consider ideas and points of
view from other people without debating and arguing
every point.
• Receives criticism without reacting defensively.
• Team members need the discipline to listen first and
speak second so that meaningful dialogue results.
Functions as an Active Participant
• Comes prepared for team meetings and listens and
speaks up in discussions.
• Fully engaged in the work of the team and does not sit
passively on the sidelines.
• Takes the initiative to help make things happen, and
volunteers for assignments.
• Approach is can-do: "What contribution can I make to help
the team achieve success?"
Shares Openly and Willingly
• Willing to share information, knowledge, and experience.
• Takes the initiative to keep other team members informed.
• Needs to feel comfortable talking with one another and
passing along important news and information day-to-day.
• Keeps other team members in the loop with information
and has expertise that helps get the job done and
prevents surprises.
Cooperates and Pitches in to Help
• Works with others and acts together to accomplish a job.
• Despite differences may have with others concerning style
and perspective, figures out ways to work together to
solve problems and get work done.
• Responds to requests for assistance and takes the
initiative to offer help.
Exhibits Flexibility
• Adapts to ever-changing situations.
• Doesn’t complain or get stressed out because something
new is being tried or some new direction is being set.
• Can consider different points of views and compromise
when needed.
• Doesn't hold rigidly to a point of view and argue it to
death, especially when the team needs to move forward
to make a decision or get something done.
• Firm in thoughts yet open to what others have to offer.
Shows Commitment
• Cares about work, the team, and the team's work.
• Shows up every day with this care and commitment up
front.
• Gives a good effort, and wants other team members to do
the same.
• Don't need to be rah-rah, cheerleader types. May even be
soft-spoken, but not passive. Care about what the team is
doing and contribute to its success—without needing a
push.
• Look beyond own work and care about the team's overall
work.
Works as a Problem-Solver
• Willing to deal with all kinds of problems in a solutions-
oriented manner.
• Get problems out in the open for discussion and then
collaborates with others to find solutions and form action
plans.
Treats Others in a Respectful
and Supportive Manner
• Shows courtesy and consideration—not just some of the
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time but consistently.
Shows understanding and the appropriate support of
other team members to help get the job done.
Doesn't place conditions on when they’ll provide
assistance, when they'll choose to listen, and when they'll
share information.
Has a sense of humor and knows how to have fun (but
not at someone else's expense).
Deals with others in a professional manner.
Teamwork Leads to SUCCESS
• Teamwork is about winning. Not in the sense of beating
your opponent, but about seeing the whole team succeed
and knowing you contributed to the success.
References
• Importance of Teamwork in Organizations by Bob Kelly,
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Demand Media http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/importanceteamwork-organizations-12033.html
Forbes Why and Where is Team Work Important? by Edmond
Lau http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/01/23/why-andwhere-is-teamwork-important/
Why Teamwork is Important
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-is-teamwork-important.html
Importance of Teamwork at Work by Arnold Anderson, Demand
Media http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-teamworkwork-11196.html
Why is Teamwork Important? http://www.the-happymanager.com/articles/why-is-teamwork-important/
Ten Qualities of an Effective Team Player By Marty Brounstein
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ten-qualities-of-aneffective-team-player.html