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TEAM WORKING AND EFFICIENCY BY JEAN-PIERRE M TSHIMANGA NOVEMBER 2009 Siamese brothers Five core values of ECD Commitment Integrity Professionalism Teamwork Excellence Introduction Teams and teamwork is still an important concept for successful organizations. The nature of teams may be changing, but the underlying nature and benefits of teams are not. Teams are becoming numerous and complex, with one person being a member of a number of teams in a organization. If handled with care and professionalism, that will not hinder the life of the organization as well as the outcome, even though the number of teams one should be part of, must be limited. Organizations willing to succeed must put emphasis on team working and manage the team in such a way that people, their talents and their views may be recognized, respected and used accordingly. Team working brings a mosaic of opportunities for success Definitions -1 • • • • • • 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.(Webster’s New World Teamwork is a group of people, contributing their individual knowledge and skills but working together to achieve a common goal or task. 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 individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal and objectives Teamwork is working together- even when apart Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Definitions - 2 Teamwork is coming together, sharing together, working together, succeeding together Teamwork is a group, contributing their individual knowledge and skills but working together to achieve a common goal or task. Teamwork is consulting each other in a very formal way, taking decisions and planning together, hearing team members’ view and considering everyone’s interests and talents, in order to achieve the success of the organization. How do you achieve good teamwork? • • • • • • • • Good teamwork starts with a shared understanding of its importance. Many organizations recruit people and never tell them about how important and crucial it is to work as a team. Some even talked about teamwork but never said how it was going to work. Emphasis should be put on teamwork right from the day of employment, the induction processes must demonstrate it. Only people who demonstrate an aptitude in team working should be the only people to be employed (cfr Interview). Teamwork is built into the organization’s culture, “it is part of the way we do things here”. Teamwork has to be carefully nurtured from the beginning and all the time until it becomes part of people’s life. It should not be used as anesthesia, it is not a word, it is an action. It is not theoretical but practical . Stages of Team Growth It should be known that teams don’t just start and become mature. They don’t spontaneously start working perfectly and accomplish great things. There are stages, quite natural, through which teams go in the process of maturing and becoming stable and effective. Four stages have been identified in their growth, if given time and special attention and nurture. Stage 1: Forming When a team is forming, members cautiously explore the boundaries of acceptable group behavior. They search for their position within the group and test the leader’s guidance. It is normal for little team progress to occur during this stage. Team members are still adjusting with environment as well as with each other. They are testing the waters in order to know how deep they are and find their way in. That takes time, patience and determination. Stage 2: Storming Storming is probably the most difficult stage for the team. Members often become impatient about the lack of progress, but are still inexperienced with working as a team. Members may argue about the actions they should take because they are faced with ideas that are unfamiliar to them and put them outside their comfort zones. Much of their energy is focused on each other instead of achieving the goal. Team leaders have to be understanding at this stage Stage 3: Norming During this stage the team members accept the team and each other, and begin to reconcile differences. Emotional conflict is reduced as relationships become more cooperative. The team is able to concentrate more on their work and start to make significant progress. This stage must occur so that work can be done. If it does not occur, the team has not adjusted, therefore, cannot accomplish its task. Something is therefore wrong. The team leader has to find out what. Stage 4: Performing At this stage and by the time the team reaches here many things have already happened. The team members have discovered and accepted each other’s strengths and weakness, and learned what roles they are playing both individually and collectively. Members are open and trusting and many good ideas are produced because they are not afraid to offer ideas and suggestions. They are comfortable using decision making tools to evaluate the ideas. They prioritize tasks and solve problems. Much is accomplished and team satisfaction and loyalty is high. What teamwork does…(1) 1. To me as an employee: It makes me feel part of something bigger than my individual job It is shared by other members of my team It allows me to focus on what I am good at while learning new skills It reduces my workload, makes it easy to take It improves my quality of life It encourages learning from one another It encourages sharing what you know It shares the glory of a job well done It facilitates decisions when things don’t go as planned It builds up self-esteem and self-confidence What teamwork does…(2) 2. To Companies: It is the only way things get done with quality and efficiency It facilitates the company growth It keeps the company competitive It stimulates new ideas It makes the company to be respected and emulated. It achieves goal more efficiently It leverages diverse individual skills It allows for quicker change It lowers implementation time It saves on healthcare costs What teamwork does…(3) 3. To Customers: It fosters a strong customer/vendor relationship It provides backup services for customers It increases customer confidence It solves costumer’s problems faster New Ways of using Teams Distance is no more a challenge because of Technology. Team members can be based all over the globe, they can still communicate and work Members of the team may never meet, but they can work together for years. Members of the team use telephone/conference calls, emails, file sharing and other online methods. They can write a presentation together and even correct it together online. They can report together or take part in a seminar online. Why The Increased Use of Teams Today? They work, results can be seen They are different from informal groups They produce real results They need minimal supervision They make people more conscious of their role They make people feel valued and respected They increase therefore motivation and effectiveness They make a difference. Challenge in Managing Teamwork Some organizations fail to gain from the benefits that teamwork can provide. Team composition is critical for success A team is a group of people made up of individual who contribute their individual knowledge and skills. Synergy, where the collective whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts, often occurs where teamwork is working well. Teams benefit because individuals often do not have all the knowledge and skills necessary Challenge in managing teamwork-2 Working together is essential. Harmony and a positive attitude are critical. If the team is not working together, then the expected gains will not materialize. An understanding of common goal or task is also critical. People have to be clear as to why the team exists and what the purpose is. Teams have to be well managed. A balanced team composition is essential. Team members have to be carefully selected. The full range of knowledge and skills required must be present. Team members have to be willing and ready to participate. They need to be committed to the task. Importance of Teamwork 1. Teamwork increases efficiency. It helps get more done in less time for less money. 2. It encourage network even when two or more departments are involved 3. It eases interdepartmental projects planning and implementation. Without teamwork, a project that looked good to one department can turn out to be inadequate and even counterproductive for another. 4. Teamwork supports sharing of information. Information flows from any corners of the team and all are ready to replace the departed. 5. Teamwork eliminates redundancy. Some common ideas and programs can be performed together instead of unnecessary duplication and clashes. We can team up together to fight giants. 6. Teamwork builds up mutual respect and acceptance, when interdependence is found to be compulsory. 7. Teamwork helps make decisions together and make it easy to implement them together. What Makes A Team Leader Good 1. He is effective: He should possess the skills to create and maintain a positive working environment and motivate and inspire the team members to take a positive approach to work and be highly committed. 2. He must promote a high level of morale and make team members feel supported and valued. 3. He instates vital communication: he sees to it that team members articulate their feelings, express their insights on plans and goals, share their ideas freely and see each other’s viewpoints 4. He establishes roles clearly so that team members may understand what their role on the team is. The team leader can enable this by defining the purpose in a clear-cut manner in the beginning of the formation of the team. 5. He Helps in conflict resolution. Whether you like it or not, conflicts will always arise. No matter how well a team functions together. When it happens, team members should be able to voice their concerns without fear of offending others or of being shut from expressing themselves. Structured methods of conflict resolution should be put in places. What makes a Team leader good A good team leader, instead of avoiding conflict issues, will have a hands-on approach that will resolve them as quickly as possible. It is often advised that the team leader sit with the conflicting parties and help work out their differences without taking sides and trying to remain as objective as possible He sets a good example for good teamwork to come about. In order to keep team members positive and committed and motivated, the team leader needs to exhibit these qualities. THE TEAM LOOKS TO THE LEADER FOR SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE so any negativity or indecisive attitude on the side of the leader is disastrous. Difference Between Groups and Teams Groups: -Members work independently and they often are not working towards the same goal. Teams -Members work interdependently and work towards both personal and team goals, and they understand these goals are accomplished best by mutual Groups: -Members focus mostly on themselves because they are not involved in the planning of the group’s objectives and goals Teams: -Members feel a sense of ownership towards their role in the group because they committed themselves to goals they helped create Groups: -Members are given their tasks or told what their duty/job is, and suggestions are rarely welcomed Teams: -Members collaborate together and use their talent and experience to contribute to the success of the team’s objective Groups: -Members are very cautious about what they said and are afraid to ask questions. They may not fully understand what is taking place in their group Teams: -Members base their success on trust and encourage all members to express their opinions, varying views and questions Difference Between Groups and Teams- Contd • Groups: – -Members do not trust each other motives because they do not fully understand the role each member plays in their group Teams: -Members make a conscious effort to be honest, respectful, and listen to every person’s point of view Groups: -Members may have a lot to contribute but are held back because of a closed relationship with each member. Teams: -Members are encouraged to offer their skills and knowledge, and in turn each member is able to contribute to the group’s success Groups: -Members are bothered by differing opinions or disagreements because they consider it a threat. There is not group support to help resolve problems Teams: -Members see conflict as part of human nature and they react to it by treating it as an opportunity to hear about new ideas and opinions. Everybody want to resolve problems constructively Groups: -Members may or may not participate in group decision-making, and conformity is valued more than positive results Teams: -Members participate equally in decision-making, but each member understand that the leader might need to make the final decision if the team can not come to a consensus agreement. Characteristics of Effective Teams Larson and LaFasto in their book tilted Teamwork: What must go right/what can go wrong (1989) found 8 characteristics of Effective Teams. They summarize how teams must be for them to produce lasting results 1. The team must have a clear goal. Avoid fuzzy . Motherhood statements. Team goals should call for a specific performance objective, expressed so concisely that everyone knows when the objective has been met. 2. The team must have a result-driven structure The team should be allowed to operate in a manner that produces fruit. It is often best to allow the team to develop the structure 3. The team must have competent team members The team must be educated as per the task given them. It means that the problem given to them should be one that the members can tackle given the level of their knowledge. 4. The team must have unified commitment • • This does not mean that the team members must agree on everything. It means that all individuals must be directing all their efforts towards the goal. If individual’s efforts is going purely towards personal goals, then the team will confront this and can’t resolve the problem Team members must not look at each other, they must look in the same direction, pointing to the ultimate goal, the good of the organization. 5. The team must have a collaborative climate The climate must be full of mutual love and acceptance, a climate of trust produced by honest, open, consistent and respectful behavior. With this climate, teams perform very well, without it, they certainly fail. 6. The team must have high standards that are understood by all • • • Team members must know what is expected from them individually and collectively. Core values have to be emphasized as clearly as possible. Vague statements such as “Let’s have positive attitude” and “demonstrated effort” as well as “We are a family, let’s love one another” are not good enough. Theoretical statements must be replaced by living and compelling attitudes and behavior. 7. The team must receive external support and encouragement • • • • Leaders have to provide support and encouragement to the teams. Assistance, mentoring, recognition, praise or any other form of reward works just as well in motivating teams as it does with individuals. Resources and a conducive environment must be provided to allow teams to work effeciently towards the goals. “Teams are successful when they are focused, have a short cycle time, and are supported by the executives” Tom Bouchard 8. The team must have principled leadership • • • Teams usually need someone to lead the effort. Team members must know that the team leader has the position because they have good leadership skills and are working for the good of the team. The team members will be less supportive if they feel that the team leader is putting himself/herself above the team, achieving personal recognition or otherwise benefiting from the position A team leader must be a team player. How To Build A teamwork Culture-1 Fostering teamwork is creating a work culture that values collaboration. In teamwork environment, people understand and believe that thinking, planning, decisions and actions are better when done cooperatively. People recognize, and even assimilate, the belief that “none of us is as good as all of us” It is hard to find work places that exemplify teamwork. Workers are rarely raised in environments that emphasize true teamwork and collaboration How To Build A Teamwork culture-2 Teamwork is the norm to evaluate how the organization values the people, their ideas, their backgrounds, and experiences. You can create a teamwork culture by doing just a few things right. Starting small and precise, being consistent and constant , with commitment and appreciation for the value. Communication is the key element in building up a teamwork culture. Actions that create Teamwork Culture . Executive leaders communicate the clear expectation that teamwork and collaboration are expected. No one completely owns a work area or process all by himself. People who own work processes and positions are open and receptive to ideas and inputs from others on the team. 2. Executives model teamwork in their inter-action with each other and the rest of the organization. They maintain teamwork even when things are going wrong; the temptation is to slip back into the former team unfriendly behavior. 3. The organization members talk about and identify the value of a teamwork culture. If values are formally written and shared, teamwork is one of the key five or six. 4. Teamwork is rewarded and recognized. The lone ranger, even if she is an excellent producer, is valued less than the person who achieves results with others in teamwork. Compensation, bonuses, and rewards depend on collaborative practices as much as individual contribution and achievement. 5. Important stories and folklore that people discuss within the company emphasize teamwork. People who do well and are promoted within the company are team players. 5. The performance management system places emphasis and value on teamwork. 1 What Does it take for a leader to be a team player? 1. Be cooperative This is not just being polite and having good manners. It means, not only, working towards common goals, but also being fair with the people, doing your share of the work, minimizing conflict, as well as maintaining a positive attitude. It is knowing and recognizing that the most important outcome of your effort is the accomplishment of the team. If you allow your personal agenda to be more important, your actions will diminish the performance of the team. 2. Keep people informed When c-workers are not informed about matterds affecting them and their mutual interests, they become confused, disappointed, and sometimes angry. This is a common source of conflicts at work. All of this can be corrected by setting in place a good communication system that aims to avail information to the team. Good communication supports positive teamwork. Communication must be internal and external of the organization. 3. Keep commitments People need to know they can depend on you at all time, that what you promise to do, you will certainly do it. Don’t say, “I will do it” to please the ears of your people. Fulfill your responsibility If you want to be seen as a team player, be sure to perform in such a way that other workers know that they can rely on you. When you keep commitments, it shows that you respect others. In the process, others are more likely to treat you the same way. 4. Be honest Teamwork depends so much on honesty and trust. It is all about making truth a core value in the organization. If a team relies on the truth, real problems will be identified and solved because people will always say the trust even if it is painful. Lies cost the organization more than the truth does. Always be honest, and trust and thruth will follow consequently. How to Be an Effective Team Player Being a team player is being a member of team and play your role in the team by identifying with others and using all good means to avail yourself and your talents to accomplish your common task in assigned you by the organization. As a member of the team, you need to motivate your team to success by your attitude and actions within the team. How do you them do it? Six keys things are to be considered. 1. Be responsible As part of the team, be ready to take your task seriously knowing that when you what you are supposed to do, you make others’ task easy. Be ready to take responsibilities even outside the scope of your role. Show people you are willing to work not only for your sake, but also for the sake of others and the organization. When things go wrong, never shift the responsibility of the failure on others. Assume your success as well as your failure. By so doing, corrective measures will work. 2. Coach Coaching is not meant for leaders only. If you are good at something and seem to be better than others, coach and train. Share your methods and ideas. Giving out knowledge never reduces it; it rather increases it. It is rewarding to show ropes to a junior team member. It will have a returning effect on you. One day, you will need it, and it will be returned to you. Give, you will receive. 3. Be open Encourage free-thinking and discussion. Never discount or ridicule another’s idea. Take each team member seriously. Never make presumptions about someone ignorance or knowledge. Don’t criticize someone’s ideas constantly, they will get discouraged and become less open. Be open to feed-back on your work or performance Don’t give excuses in response to feed-back about your performance. 4. Be generous Give credit where it is due. Don’t take credit for what is not your work. Never hold back a compliment. Learn from others and their failures. It helps the team not to repeat the same mistake. Offer to take shifts to help others affected by an event, private or official; even when no one wants. If you offer compassion and generosity, it will be returned to you, sometimes when you can do without Use your ego and seniority wisely to favor junior members of your team. 5. Set an example You don’t have to a leader in order to set an example. Rather than complaining at a situation, instead take action to correct it. Take initiative. Don’t dish out dirty work that belongs to you, to someone else. By setting standards for a professional team, you will raise the bar for others. 6. Build Relationships People spend more time at work rather than at home. This should them develop tidings and relationships, which will be beneficial to their work. It is crucial to know each other in details: birthday, members of their family, hobbies… Have a friendly disposition. Never abuse or insult another team member. Never discuss someone behind his/her back. Never gossip about them. Settle possible conflicts pro-actively by being cordial. 7. Listen actively Good listeners help teams to function effecively. Receive criticism from others without reacting defensively . Listen first and speak second, it helps in problem solving and communication. Teams need team players who can be able to understand, absorb and value others’ ideas and viewpoints without debating and arguing every point. Dialogue enriches, empty argument impoverishes. The one who wants to learn must listen. 8. Participate actively A team player is not a spectator, he is an actor. They come to meetings prepared to speak up, share their views and show their stand. Their contribution is also shown through concrete and visible work within the team. Don’t sit passively on the sidelines. Team members who function as active participants take the initiative to help make things happen, and they volunteer for assignments. 9. Exhibit flexibility Living in this ever-changing world is challenging. Adjusting is not easy; yet It is important to be flexible and helps adapt to the new conditions New ideas and processes require team members to have flexible mind. Strong team members are firm in their thoughts yet open to what others have to offer. Rigidity of mind kills inspiration and creativity. Compromise when it needed, don’t argue to death. 10. Demonstrate reliability A reliable team member gets work done and does his fair share happily. He meets commitments and work hard. He is consistent and follows through his assignments. He deliver constant and consistent services to his team and the organization. The team can depend on him and her. His absence is felt. Conclusion The success of a team does not depend only on the team leader; it also depend in a larger measure on the rest of the team members. This will depend on the quality of each team member and his/her contribution to the work. A team player must be conscious of his role and responsibilities among his/her colleagues. If every team member is a team player, the team will certainly succeed.