Research Paper on Teamwork

Introduction

Teamwork refers to the joining of efforts towards goal realization by various individuals who share a common objective. A team is made up of any given number of people, who rely on each other's contribution to achieve a shared goal. The essence of collaborating among team members is to pool resources and work efficiently towards the attainment of the set target. Teams compromise persons who can offer certain unique advantages to the group. The members may offer skills, networks, personnel, or resources that others lack (Salas, Shuffler, Thayer, Bedwell, & Lazzara, 2015). Working in teams presents a lot of benefits to organizations. For instance, teamwork increases the likelihood of success in undertaken projects due to the diversity of input by members. Ensuring the effectiveness of a team presents an organizational and leadership challenge as weak teams can delay goal realization. This paper discusses the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of teamwork in an organization.

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Benefits of Embracing Teamwork

Organizational development and change have resulted in the adoption of teamwork practices across several sectors. In the present-day competitive business world, organizations have acknowledged the benefits of working in teams. With appropriate management, a team is likely to present work that is of higher quality compared to the output of a single person. The coming together of members and combining of ideas results in the creation of superior products. The diverse opinions and suggestions of other members play a role in perfecting the end product supplied by an organization. The differences in perspectives among teammates are crucial in problem-solving within the organization (Salas et al., 2015). In groups, members can brainstorm and challenge each other's ideas to come up with practical solutions. In the process, teams can formulate strategic solutions with several alternatives in case one fails to address the issue of concern.

Teamwork significantly increases the levels of an organization's effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Adoption of good teamwork practices in a company leads to increased productivity. For a profit-oriented business, efficient services, as well as high productivity, lead to higher profit margins. Collaborations in the workplace allow personnel to share workloads according to individual specialization and strengths. The division of labor reduces the amount of time spent on activity due to personal competencies (Salas et al., 2015). It facilitates the achieving of stipulated deadlines. Sharing responsibilities enables employees to work at faster rates without the unnecessary pressure caused by overworking. The combining of efforts in a group setting leads to optimized performance and delivery by the members (Landon, Vessey, & Barrett, 2015). Thus, members can meet their targets and yield better products without having to endure the burden of carrying out several tasks individually.

Within an organization, teamwork signifies that people identify with a common goal and are committed to achieving it. Working together creates a bond, whereby employees have a common purpose, display unity, and cooperation. Such an environment eliminates unnecessary aggressive competition among individuals. It nurtures the development of loyalty to the group, mutual respect, and support for each other. In such an atmosphere, members get a unique opportunity to learn from others. Deliberations conducted during team sessions provide insight into issues relevant to the operations of the organization (Salas et al., 2015). For instance, a team comprising of experienced workers can pass down critical knowledge or skills to the younger members. In return, the younger teammates can share new information on trends in the sector that can benefit the organization. Thus, working in teams presents an excellent opportunity that empowers all the participants.

The Five Elements

Team Mission

The team mission refers to the foundation for all the activities that a team does. It describes the primary purpose for the existence of the group. It details what the team can and cannot do. Based on the team mission, members can agree to come up with a relevant mission statement that provides clarity to all stakeholders. The team mission statement serves as an official declaration that describes the central role of the group (Cameron & Green, 2015). It is instrumental in promoting the group's level of effectiveness. It serves as a source of common purpose to the rest of the team. It is a central reminder to the panel that they have a role to accomplish. Apart from a sense of purpose and direction, a team mission provides an initial starting point upon which strategies and decisions occur within the group. Thus, the mission expertly guides the organization towards its goals.

Planning and Goal Setting

Planning and goal setting is crucial to the operations of a team. Goal setting builds cohesiveness among the members. All the participants are aware of the objectives that they have to achieve. Thus, they understand the value of sharing feedback. Each person in the group becomes aware of their role, expected timelines, and consultation avenues. Planning and goal setting together promote effectiveness as it engages all the personnel in the drafting of viable strategies that can lead to the objective. The team's set goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-conscious (Cameron & Green, 2015). A particular purpose enables each member to focus on delivering his contribution to the end goal. Quantifiable goals would allow members to monitor progress made toward realization of the individual goals or targets. The goals set should be realistically attainable. The relevance of objectives ensures that teams do not veer off track from the organization's intended purposes.

Team Roles

Clearly defining a team's roles and responsibilities are essential in promoting its effective operation. Functions in the team refer to the various positions that members assume to facilitate the activities of the group at different stages. For instance, a member can play the role of a coordinator among the collaborating participants. Others can assume positions, such as specialists, evaluators, and coordinators. Assigning of specific tasks to each boosts efficiency as it reduces instances of overlapping. Overlapping occurs when two participants are in charge of one role (Cameron & Green, 2015). It reduces productivity due to time wasted when there is a difference of opinion. When the team workers have definite roles to play, it is possible to identify qualities that the team lacks. Thus, the team can work towards improvising to fill up for the missing attributes or outsource the role to a suitable candidate.

Team Operating Processes

Operational guidelines outline how a team carries out its activities while bearing in mind the end goal. The guidelines serve as a roadmap that the employees follow to ensure they remain on track to the goal realization. The operational guidance defines a group's work process that leads to the accomplishment of objectives. The work process describes the steps that members have to follow to carry out their various roles within the team. The existence of the guidelines and adherence to them improves a group's effectiveness (Cameron & Green, 2015). When teammates have a concise direction to follow, they are aware of what action follows the other. Everyone knows what they are expected to do after completing their section. Thus, there is minimal confusion in the group as the workers' transition from one step to the other. Team operating processes vary depending on the type and context of the group. They provide a contextual framework for carrying out team activities.

Team Relations

Working in a team presents a range of challenges due to the diversity in personalities amongst the various members (Roy, Dan, & Modak, 2018). Every person who participates in the group has unique character traits. Harmonizing the differences that arise due to the individuality of members is the first step towards the formation of functional intergroup and interpersonal relationships. Good relations within and outside the team have an impact on group effectiveness. Healthy relations are a prerequisite to harmonious co-existence and the development of mutual respect in the organization (Cameron & Green, 2015). The team environment thrives when members can positively relate with each other. Such an atmosphere enables people to express their opinions as well as critique the ideas of others. An open atmosphere that supports self-expression and tolerates positive criticism contributes to team effectiveness. Interpersonal skills such as tolerance of opinions, listening, and negotiation skills make a significant contribution to efficient operations within the group.

Other Elements That Promote Team Effectiveness or Ineffectiveness

Leader's Humility

Intense competition and the desire to maximize profits characterize the present-day corporate world. Organizations are consistently competing with each other to gain a strategic advantage over the other. Due to the organizational changes in the business world, teamwork has also adopted a competitive angle. Thus, companies are opting for teams headed by persons with strong personalities who can endure and perform under the pressure of the competitive atmosphere. Hence, leaders who lack humility lead teams. Occasionally, organizational units are compelled to work and deliver quality results within short deadlines. Team leaders who embrace arrogance as a coping mechanism to the pressure lead to ineffectiveness. A humble leader can process shared information and received feedback in an impartial, balanced manner (Rego & Simpson, 2018). He is then able to make decisions objectively. An arrogant leader will not accept input such as criticism subjectively. Subjective analysis of information compromises team effectiveness.

Dependency

Working within the group setting creates a certain level of dependence among the collaborating members. Pooling of resources and joining forces enables teams to carry out activities that would have taken individuals long period to perform. Collaborative approaches allow people to rely on each other for the fulfillment of specific roles and responsibilities. For instance, rarely can a team initiate actions without obtaining a go-ahead from a person acting in a leader capacity. It is a natural concept that teammates will always look for an individual to guide them on what to do and how to do it (Cameron & Green, 2015). Whereas individuals are capable of assuming various roles, they will look up to the leader to first empower them. Overdependence within the team may lead to ineffectiveness if a member fails to perform as expected. Teams consist of interdependent persons, and it is necessary to maintain mutual dependency to minimize inefficiency.

Team Training

Organizations that offer team exercises contribute to the effectiveness of team performance. Team training equips the members with unique knowledge that is goal-oriented. Preparation of the members in a formal setting enhances the competencies of the participants. Members interact in a context that enables them to develop specific teamwork skills that will facilitate the efficient operation of the group. Teammates get to learn about an organization's corporate culture, its vision, and long-term objectives (Lacerenza, Marlow, Tannenbaum, & Salas, 2018). The insight into the culture of an organization will serve as a guide in critical situations as the team performs its duties. For instance, in a business setting, team training a marketing and sales team equips the members with organizational values a...