Teamwork

The concept of teamwork is extremely important to the success of any team.  Teamwork and unselfishness create the backbone of a great team; without them a team cannot realistically compete. You can have a group of superstars, but if they do not work well as one unit, chances are they are not going to be as successful as you would think. The team working as one cohesive unit is going to be the key in their success.

Here are some things to take into consideration when you are looking at your team:

1. Does your team have agreed-upon goals they created as a team?
2. Do the members openly encourage and support one another?
3. Do they have open communication with one another, as well as the project manager?
4. Does each team member know what their role on the team is?
5. Is there mutual respect among the team and the project manager?
6. Do members use statements such as "we" when referring to the team, or is it more of an "every man for himself" mentality?
7. Have they created a positive team image for themselves?
8. Are the individual contributions of each player recognized?
9. Is the team as a whole committed to improving performance?
10. Does each member consider themselves as a "team player?"

A productive team has members that share common goals, a common vision and have some level of interdependence that requires both verbal and physical interaction. Teams come into existence through shared attitudes about a particular project. They may come together for a number of different reasons, but their goals are the same - to achieve peak performance and experience success. The ends may differ but the means by which one gets there is the same - teamwork. Every member of the team is accountable when it comes to teamwork.

This month's keystone class, Project and Team Management emphasizes these critical areas and attributes of teamwork. To succeed at the task in hand everyone involved needs to combine their efforts. If everyone does their job well, then it increases what the team can accomplish. This teamwork has to be recognized by everyone and know that great things can happen if individuals master the fundamentals and work together as one unit. Everyone has their own unique role, but each person's individual role must be recognised and appreciated.

Teamwork is something that must be a high priority and given constant attention. Every member needs to understand how important it is for them to work smoothly together if they want to be successful. Each member must be dedicated to the whole team and be willing to act unselfishly. When challenges arise (as they always do), the team needs to have the resources, accountability and commitment to deal with them in a constructive and positive manner. A sense of teamwork will play an integral part in this.

Everyone is familiar with the meaning of the acronym "T.E.A.M." - Together Everyone Achieves More!

Jaspal, (2011). The Importance of Teamwork. Retrieved on June 19, 2011 from http://gilygily.com/the-importance-of-teamwork.html

Building A Teamwork Culture