Thursday, December 1, 2011

Teamwork

By Taco Fleur


Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is a progress; working together is success", while Helen Keller uttered the line, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much". Both inspirational quotes pertain to one important concept - teamwork. To achieve teamwork, both the team leaders and their members should do their part. If any of the parties fails to deliver on their list of doables, then the team is likely to be unsuccessful in its endeavour.

What is teamwork?

People define teamwork in different ways. In reality, though, teamwork is neither a complicated matter nor a difficult subject to understand. Teamwork is simply the collaborative effort of a group of individuals who have their eyes set on a common goal. While it does not mean that team members move in strict unison, it does enable them to function in accordance with what they can contribute to the team's success. For their part, team leaders should understand the dynamics about teamwork so they can effectively direct the members toward the team objectives. This, then, requires them to have strong leadership skills.

What is leadership?

Leadership is the ability to make other people utilise their skills and talents to help the team become successful in its undertaking. It is not about dictating or actually telling them what to do. Instead, it is about influencing team members to believe in the cause or reason of the group's project, and to willingly help out by capitalising on their expertise. Leadership is also the capacity to make different people from different backgrounds, with different abilities and limitations, and sometimes with dissenting views and clashing personalities, work together and perform their respective functions to achieve the team's objectives.

Teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are needed to ensure coordinated actions between and among the team leader and members. Having good, open and transparent communication is one key skill that everyone in the team should have. Without this, some people may be lost as to what the real objectives and strategies are, and therefore, may be unable to fully contribute to the team. Listening skills is another important factor to ensure the success of the team. Everyone should have an open ear to what the other members have to say and be receptive of their suggestions. Each member should acknowledge his weaknesses and accept the fact that somebody else from the team might be able to do a particular task better than him.




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