Harnessing the power of teams
The concept of teamwork that it goes beyond a group of people coming together to get things done. One must understand that every individual brings a unique advantage to the table as they come together to form the team. The saying, “two good heads are better than one” isn’t only exemplified in the process of deliberation. It definitely also involves getting work done. Every individual indeed is unique, and may not have a great contribution, but the little he or she is able to contribute might make all the needed difference.
None of us is as smart as all
Kenneth Blanchard
Table of Contents
Teams?
A team is a group of people who work together to the achieving of a common pre-determined goal. Functional teams can be a powerful asset to any company
What is Team Work
Teamwork can be defined as the collaborative effort of a group of skilled professionals coming together to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. In an environment where teamwork is practiced, it promotes an atmosphere that fosters friendship and loyalty.
There is usually a motivation to work harder, cooperate with one another, as well as be supportive of one another. One must however note that each member of the team must possess a high level of emotional intelligence, in order to ensure smooth interaction with one another. You will agree with me that every individual usually has a unique opinion or idea to execute a project or get a work done, but the ability to perform as an individual as well as with your colleagues or employees in effective teamwork is an important key to attaining growth and success.
Apart from attaining growth and success, teamwork also motivates unity in the workplace, although individuals may possess diverse strengths, weaknesses, skills, habits, etc., all these will be put together to achieving the goal(s) of the organization.
Understanding the benefit of synergy when it comes to teamwork is as important as understanding how to formulate your team. Synergy happens when there is mutual support, shared goals, cooperation, and encouragement within the team in an organization. This definitely can be said to be the backbone of every successful organization in our world today. But beyond knowing the benefits that teamwork will give to you, you must note these important points when building your team.
Traditional Organizational Structures
- Functional Structure
These structure groups people who do similar tasks together - Divisional Structure
The divisional structure groups workers based on the products or projects that meet the needs of certain types of customers - Matrix system
A matrix structure combines elements of the functional and divisional models, so it’s more complex. It groups people into functional departments of specialization, then further separates them into divisional projects and products.
This new era of disruptions has also brought about disruptions in organizational structures. Some of these new structures are - Flat Structure
- Decentralized System
- Team-based system
How to build functional and efficient teams
Identify the skills needed for particular tasks
One of the first steps in building functional teams is determining the purpose of the team. These helps identify the specific type of skills that members of the team must posses to
Choose the right Leadership
A skilled leader understands how the different skill set contributes to the success of the team. A good leader is able to manage individual uniqueness handle day-to-day activities and serve as link to higher leadership.
Develop clear team member roles
In accomplishing tasks, either complex or simple, it must be ensured that no part of the project is duplicated as this can slow down project completion and reduce team synergy.
Incorporating team-based into the organizational structure
Classifying organizations by teams helps drive up the sense of inclusion in the organization and help the
Establish a good communication network
Communication is an essential part of successful collaborations. Communication strategy can include online document sharing tools, email protocol, messaging etc.
How teams can boost your startup growth
Different Perspectives
Teamwork offers diverse perspectives and feedbacks. As long as there is a good teamwork structure provided by the organization, there is usually freedom to diversity of thoughts, perspectives, opportunities, creativity, and approaches to problem-solving.
Feedbacks
Team effort usually increases outputs and allows for quick feedbacks with multiple skill sets coming to play in executing a project. Efficiency and productivity are very important benefits of teamwork because it allows the workload to be shared, thereby reducing pressure on individuals, and ensuring that tasks are completed within the stipulated timeframe. It also provides great opportunities to learn from one another’s mistakes, avoid future errors, gain insights from different perspectives, and also learn new ideas or concepts from more experienced colleagues.
Potential downside
Redundancy
In a team setting, there is most likely going to be that team member or team members that will find it comfortable to just sit back and watch other people do the job that’s meant for the whole of the team. This possibility adds to the redundancy in the team, adds to the cost of running the organization, and can even cause the hard workers to compare themselves and slow down their work rate due to unequal attitude to work
Difficulty in Employee Assessment
Team work can pose significant difficulty in assessing the performance of
Conclusion,
Important points when building your team.
- Ensure that you explain the role each individual will perform in clear terms and that they each understand it.
- Make training and development tools or classes available.
- Allow your team to do their job. Give them space to deliver all deliverables.
- Regularly hold meetings with them to discuss progress and targets.
- Ensure that you have a plan to advance them to the next level at every given point.
Henry Ford once said, coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. Beyond building a team, staying together and working together is what brings progress and success.
