Effective Teamwork

Whether in the workplace, or in sports, or amongst members of a community, effective teamwork can produce extraordinary results. However, that is easier said than done, for, effective teamwork does not happen automatically. There are a number of factors that are required to cohere together, working seamlessly, for an effective team to develop and work. So, what makes an effective team? Well, given below are some of the factors that are vital for building a good team that works successfully:

Effective Teamwork is about Good Leadership: One of the most important aspects of effective teamwork is effective leadership. This means that the team leader should have the skills to create and maintain a working culture that is positive, which in turn will help to motivate. This helps to motivate and even inspire the team members to get involved in creating an environment where there is a positive approach to work, along with high levels of commitment. A good team leader is a person who not only focuses himself/herself on the purpose and direction of the team, but also makes sure that the other members of the team share this focus. A good team leader also has to be able to promote a high level of morale amongst the team members so that they feel supported and valued. This is particularly useful for preventing the bane of most office cultures - that of backbiting, rumor mongering, gossip mongering, and cronyism - which can derail the efforts of any teamwork.

Effective Teamwork is about Effective Communication: It goes without saying that communication is a vital factor of interpersonal interaction, and the very term 'teamwork' represents interpersonal interaction. Hence, one of the key aspects of effective teamwork is open communication, wherein it enables the members of the team to articulate their feelings, express their plans, share their ideas, and understand each other's viewpoints. Grappling with and sorting out the complexities involved in communication is thus one of the challenges of developing and sustaining effective teamwork. In case of poor communication observed, measures should be taken to work around this aspect and make way for effective communication between the team members.

Effective Teamwork is about Defining Expectations: When a team is created, there is purpose behind the creation. Therefore, along with the reason for team creation, it is also important that expectations from the team members are clearly chalked out. It is higher management, which will have to work towards attesting the constancy of purpose of the team. The necessary resources in terms of people, money and time will have to be made available to the team, so that the team is able to meet the expectations. Last but not the least, a team should be given attention and interest be shown in the work done by the team, so that the morale of the team is always at its best.

Effective Teamwork is about Defining Clear-cut Roles: It is necessary for teams to know clearly what their purpose is, what role each member of the team has to play, what each person is responsible for, what is not within their scope, and the resources they have to achieve their goals. The team leader can enable this by defining the purpose in a clear-cut manner up front. The team, on their part, can help by building processes wherein the roles and scope of each member as well as the team are kept in focus, and avoiding anything that undermines effective teamwork.

Effective Teamwork is about Creating Procedures for Conflict Resolution: No matter how good a team may be, conflicts will inevitable occur some time or the other. The best way to counter this is to have structured methods of resolving them. Team members should have a way of expressing their opinions without fear of causing offense to anyone. Direct confrontation can also be allowed in a moderated manner, so that matters that may have been simmering can be aired out and cleared. Instead of ignoring and procrastinating these issues, a hands-on approach that resolves them quickly is better. In fact, it is advisable for the team leader to actually sit with the parties in conflict and work out the differences between them, without taking sides and making sure to remain objective. Eventually, the conflicts can actually be used as a chance to reveal underlying problems that may be in existence within the team.

Effective Teamwork is about Setting a Good Example: And finally, effective teamwork can only come about when the team leader sets a good example, which can be emulated by the team members. In order to keep the team committed, positive, and motivated, the team leader himself/herself has to have all these qualities and make it apparent that he/she does. After all, the team leader is the person the team looks to for support, direction and guidance, hence, any cynicism or negativity on his/her part is picked up by the team and is reflected in their teamwork. So, even if it means forcing yourself to, it is important to maintain a supportive and positive attitude always.

These were just some of the guidelines, which will help in building a good team. However, there will be certain changes will have to be made to the guidelines to make it apt for the team in particular and organization in general.