When colleagues work well together, either on specific team-related projects or in various departments, it improves productivity, morale and overall quality of product or service. When there is conflict between staffers, it has the potential to inhibit teamwork, which can delay projects, result in cost overruns or decrease the effectiveness of the work that’s performed.
– What is Team Work?
It is the kind of work that teams are best configured to do. It is work that blends individual strengths so that they complement each other, and in doing so brings people together with a sense of camaraderie and shared vision so that their strengths are applied in a common direction towards meaningful goals. The sum of the efforts undertaken by each team member for the achievement of the team’s objective is called team work. In other words, teamwork is the backbone of any team.
Every member in a team has to perform and contribute in his best possible way to achieve a common predefined goal. Individual performances do not count in a team and it is the collective performance of the team workers which matters the most.
Teamwork is actually the collective effort of each and every team member to achieve their assigned goal. No member can afford to sit back and expect the other member to perform on his behalf. The team members must be committed towards their team as well as their organization to avoid conflicts. Nothing productive comes out of unnecessary conflict and in turn diverts the concentration and focus of the team members. Every member should adopt an adjusting and a flexible attitude. One should consider his team members as a part of his extended family all working together towards a common goal. The team members must be dependent on each other for the best to come out.
– 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team outlines the root causes of politics and dysfunction on the teams where you work, and the keys to overcoming them. Counter to conventional wisdom, the causes of dysfunction are both identifiable and curable. However, they don’t die easily. Making a team functional and cohesive requires levels of courage and discipline that many groups cannot seem to muster.
- Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust
The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team. - Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict
The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive ideological conflict. - Dysfunction #3: Lack of Commitment
The lack of clarity or buy-in prevents team members from making decisions they will stick to. - Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability
The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from holding one another accountable. - Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results
The pursuit of individual goals and personal status erodes the focus on collective success.
– The 5 ways To Make a Team Perform.
These five factors describe the behaviors of leaders who had those high-performance teams.
1. Team Leaders Inspire More Than They Drive
High-performance teams are more pull than push. Leaders in high-performance teams know how to create energy and enthusiasm in the team. Team members feel inspired, that they are on a mission and what they are doing is of great importance.
2. Team Leaders Resolve Conflicts And Increase Cooperation
Conflicts can tear teams apart and leaders need to work to help resolve differences quickly and promote cooperation. Often team leaders assume that mature people will resolve conflict on their own. If that were true, however, there would be no divorce, separations or wars. In high-performance teams differences are addressed quickly and directly. This requires a level of maturity in team members. When people believe that they are trusted and others have their back, disputes can be resolved. Team leaders that focus on competition versus cooperation never achieve outstanding results.
3. Team Leaders Set Stretch Goals
Leaders who know how to set stretch goals create an internal drive in the team to accomplish the impossible. People don’t really want to come to work and do something that any other team could accomplish; they want to do something extraordinary. When they accomplish something that is extraordinary they recognize that they personally are capable and competent. Doing something out of the ordinary helps people recognize that they are exceptional and their satisfaction with work, their engagement and pride all go up.
4. Team Leaders Communicate, Communicate, Communicate The Vision And Direction
Be a broken record and help team members to be focused on the vision. High-performance team leaders stay on message, they constantly communicate and keep people focused on the vision and mission to accomplish. It’s easy for anyone to get distracted or miss a turn. Shiny objects are all around us and sometimes team members get diverted from their mission. High-performance team leaders keep people informed, up-to-date and on track.
5. Team Leaders Are Trusted
If a team leader is not trusted, they can’t be inspiring or trusted to resolve conflicts, get the team to embrace stretch goals or believe their communications. The lack of trust slows down everything. We have found that there are three basic pillars that build trust. The first pillar of trust is relationships. We trust people that we like. We trust our friends and we distrust our enemies. Building a positive relationship increases trust. The second pillar of trust is knowledge or expertise. We trust people that have the right answer or can provide insight. We trust people when they can help solve problems. Use your knowledge and skills to help others solve a problem and it will increase trust. The third pillar of trust is consistency. When you say you will do something and you do it, people trust you. Being consistent and walking your talk makes you a person that can be trusted.
