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Teamwork

2008-12-16 06:34:16

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Teamwork is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as "a joint action by a

group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual

interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group."

This does not mean that the individual is no longer important; however, it does

mean that effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond individual

accomplishments. The most effective teamwork is produced when all the

individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common

goal.

In order for teamwork to succeed one must be a teamplayer. A Teamplayer is one

who subordinates personal aspirations and works in a coordinated effort with

other members of a group, or team, in striving for a common goal. Businesses

and other organizations often go to the effort of coordinating team building

events in an attempt to get people to work as a team rather than as

individuals.

A 2003 national representative survey, HOW-FAIR [1], revealed that Americans

think that 'being a team player' was the most important factor in getting ahead

in the workplace. This was ranked higher than several factors, including 'merit

and performance', 'leadership skills', 'intelligence', 'making money for the

organization' and 'long hours'.

The old structures are being reformed. As organizations seek to become more

flexible in the face of rapid environmental change and more responsive to the

needs of customers, they are experimenting with new, team-based structures

(Jackson & Ruderman, 1996).

Teamwork

Aside from any required technical proficiency, a wide variety of social skills

are desirable for successful teamwork, including:

Listening - it is important to listen to other people's opinions. When people

are allowed to freely express their ideas, these initial ideas will produce

other ideas.

Discussing It is important to discuss your ideas with your teammates until

you agree.

Questioning - it is important to ask questions, interact, and discuss the

objectives of the team.

Persuading - individuals are encouraged to exchange, defend, and then to

ultimately rethink their ideas.

Respecting - it is important to treat others with respect and to support

their ideas.

Helping - it is crucial to help one's coworkers, which is the general theme

of teamwork.

Sharing - it is important to share with the team to create an environment of

teamwork.

Participating - all members of the team are encouraged to participate in the

team. (which usually consists of three or more people)

Communicating - For a team to work effectively it is essential for team

members to acquire communication skills and to use effective communication

channels between one another e.g. using email, viral communication, group

meetings and so on. This will enable team members of the group to work together

and achieve the team's purpose and goals.

The forming-storming-norming-performing model takes the team through four

stages of team development and maps quite well on to many project management

life cycle models, such as initiation - definition - planning - realisation.

As teams grow larger, the skills and methods that people require grow as more

ideas are expressed freely. Managers must use these to create or maintain a

spirit of teamwork change. The intimacy of a small group is lost, and the

opportunity for misinformation and disruptive rumors grows. Managers find that

communication methods that once worked well are impractical with so many people

to lead. Specifically, leaders might encounter difficulties based on Daglow's

Law of Team Dynamics: "Small teams are informed. Big teams infer."

Team Building

Team Building, or Team Development, is a coverall term given to methods of

developing an effective team.

The methods of doing this vary widely, and include

simple social activities - to encourage team members to spend time together
group bonding sessions - company sponsored fun activities to get to know team

members

personal development activities - personal change applied on a group level,

sometimes physically challenging

team development activities - group-dynamic games designed to reveal how

individuals approach a problem and how the team works together

psychological analysis of team roles, and training in how to work better

together

Team building generally seats within the theory and practice of organizational

development.

Critiques of teamworking

There is a range of debates concerned with the negative features of

teamworking. The move to teamwork in industry and services has led to a greater

amount of peer pressure, performance management, and stress. Management control

is seen by critics to be reinvigorated by transferring the disciplinary

dimension of management to employees and team members themselves. There are

studies showing how team members pressure each other into working harder. The

literature goes into questions of bullying and of surveillance. (See Phil

Garrahan and Paul Stewart The Nissan Enigma Chapter 4 published by Mansell in

London - 1992). This had led to a debate on the regulation of teamworking and

the need to establish rules and procedures regarding its development and

boundaries.