Teamwork
Projects often require that people work together
to accomplish a common goal; therefore,
teamwork is an important factor in most
organizations. Effective collaborative skills are
necessary to work well in a team environment.
Many businesses attempt to enhance their
employees' collaborative efforts through
workshops and cross-training to help people
effectively work together and accomplish shared
goals.
“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).
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'.
Teamwork skills
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 ideas. When people are allowed
to freely express their ideas, these initial
ideas will produce other ideas.
• 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.
• Communication - For a team to work effectively it is essential
team members acquire
communication skills and 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.
1 Excerpt
from an article on WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamwork
Implementing Powerful Programs for English Learners
and Migrant Students - Session 4
Team roles
Meredith Belbin (1993) basing on his research proposed ten roles that successful
teams
should have:
Coordinator
This person will have a clear view of the team
objectives and will be skilled at inviting
the contribution of team members in achieving
these, rather than just pushing his or
her own view. The coordinator (or chairperson)
is self disciplined and applies this
discipline to the team. They are confident and
mature, and will summarize the view
of the group and will be prepared to take a
decision on the basis of this.
Shaper
The shaper is full of drive to make things
happen and get things going. In doing this
they are quite happy to push their own views
forward, do not mind being challenged
and are always ready to challenge others. The
shaper looks for the pattern in
discussions and tries to pull things together
into something feasible, which the team
can then get to work on.
Plant
This member is the one who is most likely to
come out with original ideas and
challenge the traditional way of thinking about
things. Sometimes they become so
imaginative and creative that the team cannot
see the relevance of what they are
saying. However, without the plant to scatter
the seeds of new ideas the team will
often find it difficult to make any headway. The
plant’s strength is in providing
major new insights and ideas for changes in
direction and not in contributing to the
detail of what needs to be done.
Resource investigator
The resource investigator is the group member
with the strongest contacts and
networks, and is excellent at bringing in
information and support from the outside.
This member can be very enthusiastic in pursuit
of the team’s goals, but cannot
always sustain this enthusiasm.
Implementer
The individual who is a company worker is well
organized and effective at turning
big ideas into manageable tasks and plans that
can be achieved. Such individuals are
both logical and disciplined in their approach.
They are hardworking and methodical
but may have some difficulty in being flexible.
Team worker
The team worker is the one who is most aware of
the others in the team, their needs
and their concerns. They are sensitive and
supportive of other people’s efforts, and
try to promote harmony and reduce conflict. Team
workers are particularly
important when the team is experiencing a
stressful or difficult period.
Implementing Powerful Programs for English Learners
and Migrant Students - Session 4
Completer
As the title suggests, the completer is the one
who drives the deadlines and makes
sure they are achieved. The completer usually
communicates a sense of urgency,
which galvanizes other team members into action.
They are conscientious and
effective at checking the details, which is a
vital contribution, but sometimes get
‘bogged down’ in them.
Monitor evaluator
The monitor evaluator is good at seeing all the
options. They have a strategic
perspective and can judge situations accurately.
The monitor evaluator can be
overcritical and is not usually good at
inspiring and encouraging others.
Specialist
This person provides specialist skills and
knowledge and has a dedicated and singleminded
approach. They can adopt a very narrow
perspective and sometimes fail to
see the whole picture.
Finisher
The finisher is a person who sticks to deadline
and likes to get on with things. They
will probably be irritated by the more relaxed
members of the team.
Value of Teamwork
In 2006, two statistics professors at Brigham
Young University concluded after a long-term
study of NBA basketball games that teamwork
truly was the most important factor in
winning. While many might think that scoring or
rebounding statistics are the most
informative numbers, these professors
mathematically proved that the ratio of assists to
turnovers, a great of measure of teamwork, was
the best predictor of success over a season.
Based on this study, it is easy to understand
why the teams with the highest payrolls seldom
consistently win championships. While individual
skill and effort in sports is important,
teamwork is paramount.
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