FACTORS WHICH CAN CONTRIBUTE TO TEAM SUCCESS IN
AN ORGANIZATION
Prepared by,
Sir. SAFARI .A.J,
CONTACTS:
Mob.No.+255 715 803 005
Mail Address: albertodesafari@gmail.com
TEAMWORK; is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal or to
complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. This concept is
seen within the greater framework of a team, which is a group of interdependent
individuals who work together towards a common goal.
Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their
individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal
conflict between individuals.” Teamwork is selfless.
It focuses on the end goal. Teamwork runs on the
concept that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Successful teams encourage team members to share ideas, consider solutions and solve problems together.Successful
teams typically have the following characteristics:Goal-oriented mindset: The
most effective teams set, implement and track goals together to increase
efficiency and improve productivity.
The factors contributed to Team success in organization
1.
COMMITMENT.
Commitment to the purpose and values of an organization provides a clear sense
of direction.
Team members understand how their work fits into corporate objectives and they
agree that their team's goals are achievable and aligned with corporate mission
and values. Commitment is the foundation for synergy in groups. Individuals are
willing to put aside personal needs for the benefit of the work team or the
company. When there is a meeting of the minds on the big picture, this shared
purpose provides a backdrop against which all team decisions can be viewed.
Goals are developed with corporate priorities in mind. Team ground rules are
set with consideration for both company and individual values. When conflict
arises, the team uses alignment with purpose, values, and goals as important
criteria for acceptable solutions.
To enhance team commitment, leaders might consider inviting each work team to
develop team mission, vision, and values statements that are in alignment with
those of the corporation but reflect the individuality of each team. These
statements should be visible and "walked" every day. Once a shared
purpose is agreed upon, each team can develop goals and measures, focus on
continuous improvement, and celebrate team success at important milestones. The
time spent up front getting all team members on the same track will greatly
reduce the number of derailments or emergency rerouting later.
2. CONTRIBUTION.
The power of an effective team is in direct proportion to the skills members
possess and the initiative members expend. Work teams need people who have
strong technical and
interpersonal skills and are willing to learn. Teams also need self-leaders who
take
responsibility for getting things done. But if a few team members shoulder most
of the
burden, the team runs the risk of member burnout, or worse-member turn-off.
To enhance balanced participation on a work team, leaders should consider three
factors that affect the level of individual contribution: inclusion,
confidence, and empowerment. The more individuals feel like part of a team, the
more they contribute; and the more members contribute, the more they feel like
part of the team. To enhance feelings of inclusion, leaders need to keep work
team members informed, solicit their input, and support an atmosphere of
collegiality. If employees are not offering suggestions at meetings, invite
them to do so. If team members miss meetings, let them know they were missed. When
ideas-even wild ideas-are offered, show appreciation for the initiative.
Confidence in self and team affects the amount of energy a team member invests
in an
endeavor. If it appears that the investment of hard work is likely to end in
success,
employees are more likely to contribute. If, on the other hand, success seems
unlikely,
investment of energy will wane. To breed confidence on a work team, leaders can
highlight the talent, experience, and accomplishments represented on the team,
as well as keep past team successes visible. The confidence of team members can
be bolstered by providing feedback, coaching, assessment, and professional
development opportunities.
Another way to balance contribution on a work team is to enhance employee
empowerment. When workers are involved in decisions, given the right training,
and respected for their experience, they feel enabled and invest more. It is
also important to have team members evaluate how well they support the
contribution of others.
3. COMMUNICATION.
For a work group to reach its full potential, members must be able to say what
they think,
ask for help, share new or unpopular ideas, and risk making mistakes. This can
only happen in an atmosphere where team members show concern, trust one
another, and focus on solutions, not problems. Communication-when it is
friendly, open, and positive-plays a vital role in creating such cohesiveness.
Friendly communications are more likely when individuals know and respect one
another. Team members show caring by asking about each other's lives outside of
work, respecting individual differences, joking, and generally making all feel
welcome.
Open communication is equally important to a team's success. To assess work
performance, members must provide honest feedback, accept constructive
criticism, and address issues head-on. To do so requires a trust level
supported by direct, honest communication.
Positive communication impacts the energy of a work team. When members talk
about what they like, need, or want, it is quite different from wailing about
what annoys or frustrates them. The former energizes; the latter demoralizes.
To enhance team communication, leaders can provide skill training in listening,
responding, and the use of language as well as in meeting management, feedback,
and consensus building.
4. COOPERATION.
Most challenges in the workplace today require much more than good solo
performance. In increasingly complex organizations, success depends upon the
degree of interdependence recognized within the team. Leaders can facilitate
cooperation by highlighting the impact of individual members on team
productivity and clarifying valued team member behaviors. The following F.A.C.T.S.
model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy,
timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams
identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team.
Follow-through.
One of the most common phrases heard in groups that work well together is
"You can count on it." Members trust that when a colleague agrees to
return a telephone call, read a report, talk to a customer, attend a meeting,
or change a behavior, the job will be done. There will be follow-through. Team
members are keenly aware that as part of a team, everything that they do-or
don't do-impacts someone else.
Accuracy.
Another common phrase heard in effective work groups is "We do it right
the first time."
Accuracy, clearly a reflection of personal pride, also demonstrates a
commitment to uphold the standards of the team, thus generating team pride.
Creativity.
Innovation flourishes on a team when individuals feel supported by colleagues.
Although taking the lead in a new order of things is risky business, such risk
is greatly reduced in a cooperative environment where members forgive mistakes,
respect individual differences, and shift their thinking from a point of view
to a viewing point.
Timeliness.
When work team members are truly cooperating, they respect the time of others
by turning team priorities into personal priorities, arriving for meetings on
time, sharing information promptly, clustering questions for people,
communicating succinctly, and asking "Is this a good time?" before
initiating interactions.
Spirit.
Being on a work team is a bit like being part of a family. You can't have your
way all of the time, and-to add value-you must develop a generous spirit.
Leaders can help work teams by addressing these "rules" of team
spirit: value the individual; develop team trust; communicate openly; manage
differences; share successes; welcome new members.
5. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT.
It is inevitable that teams of bright, diverse thinkers will experience
conflict from time
to time. The problem is not that differences exist, but in how they are
managed. If people
believe that conflict never occurs in "good" groups, they may sweep
conflict under the rug. Of course, no rug is large enough to cover
misperception, ill feelings, old hurts, and
misunderstandings for very long. Soon the differences reappear. They take on
the form of tension, hidden agendas, and stubborn positions. On the other hand,
if leaders help work teams to manage conflict effectively, the team will be
able to maintain trust and tap the collective power of the team. Work teams
manage conflict better when members learn to shift their paradigms (mindsets)
about conflict in general, about other parties involved, and about their own
ability to manage conflict. Three techniques that help members shift
obstructing paradigms are reframing, shifting shoes, and affirmations.
Reframing is looking at the glass half-full, instead of half-empty. Instead of
thinking "If
I address this issue, it'll slow down the meeting," consider this thought:
"If we negotiate
this difference, trust and creativity will all increase."
Shifting shoes is a technique used to practice empathy by mentally
"walking in the shoes" of another person. You answer questions such
as "How would I feel if I were that person being criticized in front of
the group?" and "What would motivate me to say what that person just
said?"
Affirmations are positive statements about something you want to be true. For
example,
instead of saying to yourself right before a negotiating session, "I know
I'm going to blow
up," force yourself to say, "I am calm, comfortable, and prepared."
If team members can
learn to shift any negative mental tapes to more positive ones, they will be
able to shift
obstructing paradigms and manage conflict more effectively.
6. CHANGE MANAGEMENT.
Tom Peters, in Thriving On Chaos, writes "The surviving
companies will, above all, be
flexible responders that create market initiatives. This has to happen through
people." It
is no longer a luxury to have work teams that can perform effectively within a
turbulent
environment. It is a necessity. Teams must not only respond to change, but
actually initiate it. To assist teams in the management of change, leaders
should acknowledge any perceived danger in the change and then help teams to
see any inherent opportunities. They can provide the security necessary for
teams to take risks and the tools for them to innovate; they can also reduce
resistance to change by providing vision and information, and by modeling a
positive attitude themselves.
7. CONNECTIONS.
A cohesive work team can only add value if it pays attention to the ongoing
development of three important connections: to the larger work organization, to
team members, and to other work teams.
When a work team is connected to the organization, members discuss team
performance in relationship to corporate priorities, customer feedback, and
quality measures. They consider team needs in light of what's good for the
whole organization and what will best serve joint objectives. Leaders can
encourage such connection by keeping communication lines open.
Management priorities, successes, and headaches should flow one way; team
needs, successes, and questions should flow in the other direction.
When a work team has developed strong connections among its own members, peer
support manifests itself in many ways. Colleagues volunteer to help without
being asked, cover for each other in a pinch, congratulate each other publicly,
share resources, offer suggestions for improvement, and find ways to celebrate
together. A few ideas for developing and maintaining such connections are:
allow time before and after meetings for brief socialization, schedule team
lunches, create occasional team projects outside of work, circulate member
profiles, take training together, and provide feedback to one another on
development.
Teams that connect well with other work groups typically think of those groups
as "internal customers." They treat requests from these colleagues
with the same respect shown to external customers. They ask for feedback on how
they can better serve them. They engage in win/win negotiating to resolve
differences, and they share resources such as training materials, videos,
books, equipment, or even improvement ideas. To build stronger connections with
other groups, work teams might consider scheduling monthly cross-departmental
meetings, inviting representatives to their own team meeting,
"lending" personnel during flu season, and combining efforts on a
corporate or community project.
To compete effectively, leaders must fashion a network of skilled employees who
support each other in the achievement of corporate goals and the delivery of
seamless service.
........................................................... THE END .....................................................
CHUMBA
CHA BIASHARA(FREMU)
