Why Teamwork is a better way to work

Today , this is the last blog in which I am going to conclude about why working together in a team  are the key to success. Teams are a fundamental part of working life. They account for the vast majority of work done in organisations. Yet it is one thing to create a team, but quite another to create a team that works. Just as it is one thing to join a team, but quite another to perform as a team member. To put it simply, teams do not work without teamwork and a well-oiled teamwork makes all the difference. Here you can take a look at the main benefits of teamwork. 

Why is teamwork important: Because it’s a better way to work. It includes: 

1. Creates synergy – Team is the ability to achieve more together, than if each member worked individually. It’s in the combination of skills and expertise, when the skills of one member complement the skills of another  and compensates for each other’s weaknesses, that teamwork really works. 

2. Supports – It is a more empowered way of working. It helps to remove the constraints which may prevent someone from doing their job properly. Teams can hold themselves accountable and often this positive peer pressure encourages people to take on responsibility and be pro-active.

3. Promotes flatter and leaner structures – Teams have the capability of solving problems and making decisions together. When they work well they can be largely self-managing. Teams can interact with other teams in an organisation reducing the need for excessive hierarchy.

4. Encourages multi-disciplinary work – Teams value the different skills and expertise of their members and can combine those skills in different ways to meet changing needs. When people have developed good teamworking skills (they know how to work well in a team), they can use those skills to work well with other teams in the organisation.

5. Fosters flexibility and responsiveness – Teams can take responsibility for complete processes. They can inter-change and respond to the needs of customers, and of the processes they manage.

6.  Promotes a sense of achievement, equity – Working well together builds a sense of togetherness, which is not only experienced by team members, but a visible encouragement to others too.

7. When managed properly, teamwork is a better way to work.

Reference: http://youtu.be/zacF1pZR1Fg
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKucprXVGMU

 Source: http://bookboon.com/blog/2013/01/why-teamwork-is-a-better-way-to-work/

Guffey, M. E., Rogin, P., & Rhodes, K. (2011). Business communication: process and product (6th Canadian ed.). Toronto: Nelson Education.

                                   Thank You

What makes a Team Successful

Today, I am going to discuss about the facts that how a team can be successful. Here are some of the facts :

 Set High Performance Standards

Leaders that are committed to high performance standards within their team create a culture of achievement. The greatest success comes when teams are able to have honest conversations about what success looks like. However, as a leader, they can’t just tell the team what they expect from team members to accomplish. That isn’t enough. Those conversations need to continue to be reinforced to the group and they must be backed up by their actions and the actions of the group.

 

Engage with Your Team

One of the best leadership characteristics to possess is to engage others. The best way to accomplish this is to allow others to engage.

• Ask more questions about people on your team.
• Spend time getting to know them as individuals.

Most of being engaging simply requires being genuine about caring for others.

Build Business and Organizational Knowledge

Great leaders have deep knowledge about the industry and the organization in which they work. Here are some ways to build on this concept:

• Read more industry related news and magazines.
• Subscribe to more professional blogs.
• Write more about professional ideas.

Motivate, Coach and Mentor

In today’s world, anyone with quality leadership characteristics spend more time on the “pull” rather than the “push”. This approach sees leaders spending more time authentically motivating and coaching employees towards professional goals, and mentoring top talent.

Manage Workflow

People who are known for their leadership characteristics focus on three aspects of managing the workflow.

- Take an honest look at who’s doing what;

Often the “prime” assignments are given to the people that are close in proximity or “trusted confidants” of a leader. Make sure that those choice jobs are shared evenly to create better cohesion among the team. Everyone is important in team outcomes.

- Spend time with  high achievers as much as  low achievers:

People who possess strong leadership characteristics focus on both high and low achievers.

- Let team members know what others are doing:

Another area to focus on is to share with the team “who does what” and connect each person’s responsibilities to each other.

Be Supportive and Caring

Create a supportive team that legitimately cares about each other. By fostering an environment for caring and supportive team members that they champion accountability. Team members who care about each other, the project, the company, the industry, and whatever else they care about take their actions and responsibilities seriously. That accountability results in improved results for the business objectives.

 Source: http://www.teambonding.com/successful-team-building/

Guffey, M. E., Rogin, P., & Rhodes, K. (2011). Business communication: process and product (6th Canadian ed.). Toronto: Nelson Education.

 

Team Communication

Communication is the process of transmitting and understanding information and ideas so the team develops shared understanding. Good communication between members is essential if a team is to collaborate successfully and make best use of its pooled knowledge. Team identity and group cohesiveness benefit from good communication. Conversely, lack of communication – where members work too much on their own and lose touch with how their work relates to others – can reduce team effectiveness Open communication and information sharing: help team members to anticipate what they can expect from one another and when they can expect it eliminate surprises and make it easier for members to work together engender trust and familiarity among team members allow more forceful group behaviour, including the willingness to question and challenge in the search for better solutions. Shared understanding means that both the person who sends a message and the receiver interpret the message and the actions it implies, in the same way. This requires: expressing ideas clearly and using body language –relaxed posture, good eye contact and occasional pauses –  to show feedback is welcome being flexible enough to take on board others suggestions and to build on others ideas between team meetings, keeping all those who need to know regularly informed of individual progress.

Listening is just as important as speaking and involves paying attention to the whole of the sender's message and seeking to interpret it from the perspective of the sender. Body language can be used to show full attention and interest. Restating the message in your own words to clarify the sender's intended meaning can be helpful. To seek constructive clarification, ask supportive questions focused on what, where, how and why issues. This allows the speaker to explain the position in more detail.

Practical steps to  open communication

- Highlight the importance of open communication and the mutual benefits for the team

- Set objectives – don't let the team just talk around the job

- Remind team members of the importance of arriving at meetings prepared to communicate ideas and use drawings and diagrams where appropriate

- Recognise that not all are good communicators – others on the team should help them to articulate their views

- Ensure everyone has the opportunity to make a contribution or air a grievance

- Try to ensure everyone listens

- Organise discussions with all team members about the best ways to communicate with others: face to face, email, web, telephone; and whether line, star, or circular. Most benefit comes from discussions that make people feel their views are valued.

- Encourage a 'direct line' approach – with direct communication between parties involved in a decision

- Copy information to all those who need to be kept informed.  

  


Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYohAz8pTmk

Source: http://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk/pdf/document/Teamwork_Guide.pdf 

Guffey, M. E., Rogin, P., & Rhodes, K. (2011). Business communication: process and product (6th Canadian ed.). Toronto: Nelson Education.