Importance of teamwork

From CEOpedia | Management online

Importance of teamwork results from the fact, that team is more than the sum of the work of its participants. Each team is characterized by its own interactive phenomena such as norms, standards of individual and collective behaviour. Specific structures and processes distinguishing the team not only strongly influence the behaviour of its members, stimulate action, block or force the conformist behaviour, but - in the pursuit of its objectives and targets - also affect the achievement of the team as a whole.

The company can set up different types of teams, depending on the needs and purposes they serve. Among the different types of teams are: autonomous groups. Autonomous group bring to the traditional system of organization the most radical changes. Authorship of the idea of autonomous groups is attributed to T. Bata (based on the organization of its business for an economically autonomous organizational units) Projects that do not change the organization in such a radical way, as the creation of autonomous groups, but significantly affect the productivity are: multi-functional teams, quality circles, task forces, etc.

Features of teamwork

Team according to E. Schein is any number of people who interact with each other and are aware of each other as a group. J. Adair believes that the team work occurs when one can define membership, group awareness, a sense of common purpose, mutual interdependence in the implementation of the objective of interoperability and the ability to act in a uniform manner.

Every team is defined by the following qualities:

  • group history and character,
  • type of group,
  • type of organization and its purpose,
  • methods of communication,
  • way of participation and decision-making,
  • cohesion (professional, personal, cultural),
  • work environment,
  • climate of the team
  • representation and self-image in international arena,
  • work methods and team structure,
  • patterns of human attitudes and behaviors,

Importance of team creation

All teams based on their status, abilities and other specific skills can form different structures. Isomorphic structure is useful when its members are involved in different variety of tasks which will result in one final product. Such situation can occur when at manufacturing facility communication is very simple and does not involve many people. This way workers get their tasks done without additional communication.

The teams are an integral part of every organization and every community of individuals. They are something more than simply the sum of the individuals who constitute it, and they are not simple elements and fractions of a whole that is the organization. The team is a social group whose main objective is the efficient implementation of tasks resulting from the division of labour. In addition, the team consists of employees who interact with each other in such a way that the behaviour and actions of one are somehow the result of the impact they have on the behaviour and actions of other employees of team.

Team members have the following main features:

  • want to work together,
  • perceive themselves (team) as a whole consisting of interacting employees
  • participate in varying degrees in all actions and tasks of the team,
  • retain and apply some adopted and accepted collective forms of work,
  • they build significant social bonds between themselves.

Teamwork and team characteristics

Main characteristics of the team are as follows:

  • the main purpose of the collective is the effectiveness of all employees,
  • team synergy resulting from the cooperation of the employees is always positive,
  • responsible for the execution of the tasks, is individual within the group, but common in the scope of the entire organization,
  • skills of the team are supplemented by the skills of each member of the team,
  • there are several other advantages of team work.

Importance of teamwork in multi-functional teams

Multi-functional teams cross organization both vertically and horizontally, by combining functions, which allows connection to shorten the time to decide to reduce or eliminate inter-divisions of the organization reduce costs, take advantage of multi-faceted approach to solving the problem. With the introduction of more multi-functional teams organizational structure must change for the effective functioning of the structure of the task, e.g., matrix, hybrid, network, etc.

Kind of teamwork that allows not only to increase productivity and reduce operating costs, but to contribute to the improvement and development, as well as affect the humanization of labour relations and human growth opportunities are quality circles. This solution is derived from the Japanese organizations, and its pedigree is associated with intense activities of enterprises in order to improve the quality and reliability of products. The main idea of ​​quality circles is the thesis: "the quality of our products depends on all employees, not just the specialized services of quality control and technical supervision" Working in quality circles is based on the results of the synergies generated by teamwork.

The teams, depending on the type of tasks, aptitudes and specific members of the organization can take various structures, for example: isomorphic, expert, collective, surgery. Isomorphic structure is useful when group members perform a variety of tasks, which is then formed as a single product.

Teamwork in task forces - importance of cooperation

Other kind of work-groups are task forces. The task force is separate from the organizational structure of the company as a formal group. It works as an independent micro-organization to carry out a unique project. It is expected to achieve concrete results, from which it settles. Goal and task set to be achieved is formulated specifically in the form of measurable metrics. At the head of the team is the manager. It is part of an interdisciplinary team. It is composed of experienced specialists whose knowledge, experience and skills are really needed to solve the problem. There are internal and external experts. Task force are created for a specified time.

Task force members can be adjusted depending on the current needs of work. Some experts go of it after completing their work, while others are involved in it from time to time, depending on current requirements. The employees are seconded to work in a team on a full-time job, even for a few months, or partial, for a few hours or days a week. Of remuneration, evaluation and submission of employees is defined by organizational rules. The team is completely independent in the performance of a task. It has also guaranteed working conditions and the necessary material and financial resources.

Importance of team members in teamwork

Based on the assigned task each team will be responsible for it is necessary to assign team members with the best matching qualities. It is typical that people are assigned based on their qualifications in order to satisfy requires skills and interpersonal skills and problem solving strategies when it comes to decision making. According to J. Adair we can distinguish the following team member functions:

  • initiator - supportive - proposing new goals, problems, definitions,
  • data analyst - collecting data significant to solve problems,
  • opinion researcher - collecting opinions on problem solving and data interpretation,
  • business analyst - analysing information, major role is to find the main source of problem,
  • project coordinator - collecting suggestions, keeps track or information, presents the results,
  • team leader - makes sure everything that's done is according to the law and project objective,
  • solution analyst - critic - inspects based on criteria and requirements,
  • motivating team members - motivates group to be more productive and active,
  • procedure specialist - improves group work throughout application of standard procedures,
  • facilitator - responsible for registration and track of information/files.

Advantages of teamwork

One of the advantages of teamwork is that it encourages creativity, allowing members to draw on each other's ideas to come up with original solutions to problems. Additionally, teamwork fosters a sense of collaboration and mutual respect, as each team member has an important role to play in the success of the team. Furthermore, teams that work together can often reach objectives faster than individuals working alone, as tasks can be divided among group members to be completed more quickly. Teams also benefit from the diversity of perspectives that different members bring to the table. This allows the team to come up with more innovative and creative solutions than any single member could have come up with alone. Finally, working as a team can often provide a sense of accomplishment and pride that would be impossible for a single individual to achieve.

In summary, the importance of teamwork comes from the many advantages it has to offer, such as improved creativity, collaboration, faster completion of tasks, diverse perspectives, and a sense of accomplishment.

Limitations of teamwork

Teamwork has several limitations that should be considered before relying on it as a main strategy for achieving success. These include:

  • A team can only accomplish what its individual members are capable of, and these capabilities may be limited by the specific skill set of each member. This means that a team may not be able to perform complex tasks if they are outside of the scope of the team's abilities.
  • Teams may also lack the necessary resources to complete the project properly. This could include lack of funding, materials, or other resources that could prevent the team from achieving its goals.
  • Teamwork can be hindered by interpersonal conflicts between team members, which can cause delays and further complicate the task.
  • Teams may also be hindered by organizational issues such as unclear communication, lack of leadership, or unclear goals and objectives. These issues can cause confusion and result in the team not reaching its potential.

Other approaches related to teamwork

One of the most important aspects of teamwork is the ability to work together to achieve a common goal. Other approaches related to the importance of teamwork include:

  • Communication: Effective communication is key to successful teamwork. Team members need to be able to communicate openly and honestly, in order to understand each other’s perspectives and goals, and to be able to cooperate with one another in order to achieve the team’s objectives.
  • Interdependence: Team members should be able to rely on each other and work together to achieve the team’s goals. This means that each team member must be able to contribute their own unique skills and abilities in order to complete tasks and move the team forward.
  • Respect: Team members must respect each other, and respect each other’s ideas and opinions. This will help to create an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, which will help the team to work more efficiently.
  • Flexibility: Teams need to be able to adjust to changing circumstances and respond quickly to new information. This means that team members must be willing to be flexible and adapt to different situations, as well as be open to new ideas and solutions.

In summary, teamwork is essential for achieving success. It requires communication, interdependence, respect, and flexibility from all team members in order to be successful.


Importance of teamwork — recommended articles
Advantages of teamwork — Ability to work in a team — Lewin, Lippitt and White - basic styles of management — Informal groups — Organizational culture and project management — Change management model — Bureaucratization — Hersey and Blanchard model — Characteristics of bureaucracy

References

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