What exactly do you mean by teamwork
A common discussion during planning meetings is defining exactly
what we mean by teamwork and being a team member. We often talk
about teamwork with the assumption that everyone has the same
perception of the concept - they don't! Individuals have different
experience with regards to family culture, military service, team
sports, large-company, small-company.
Teamwork compilation
Here is a compilation of some of the specific elements actual
strategic planning team members have shared in response to the
question What do you think it means to be part of a team?
- Accountability – ownership.
- Anticipation – anticipating
what individuals need, anticipating what the corporation needs.
- Being cross trained – having a
backup for each position.
- Communications.
- Cooperation.
- Each member has a specific role
- how do I move the ball and make impact.
- Each member pulls in the same
direction.
- Each team member helps the team
understand that they need to evolve to avoid "group
think."
- Each team member helps to keep
the entire team focused.
- Each team member is learning -
developing yourself.
- Each team member supports each
other.
- Everyone "comes out
alive" - everyone shares in the success.
- Everyone understands the goals.
- Having a common goal.
- Having a common team goal.
- Individual efforts create
synergy - the results of the team is greater than the sum of the
whole.
- Individual members help to
develop other team members.
- Involvement – getting the
entire team into the decision process.
- Passion.
- Patience – this is a growing
process.
- There are "outside
fans" that support the team.
- There is an individual
commitment to a team goal that overrides their individual goals.
- There is mutual support.
- Understand ours and every other
team member’s roles and responsibilities.
- Vision – having common goals
that reach beyond the moment.
Teamwork requires a strong foundation
There is natural impulse to save time and immediately jump to
setting objectives and action steps and skip the apparently warm and
fuzzy vision, mission, and strategy. This is a false economy.
Without a truly shared and articulated base to build on there will
always be confusion and conflict.
Teamwork - elimination of us vs. them.
A quick test of your level of teamwork. When one of your
direct reports comes to you and complains about another team
member's behavior what is your instinctive response?
- Do you sympathize with your employee and join in their
complaints about the crazy actions of them.
- Do you shake your head and promise to look into it.
Or
- Do you defend you team member's motivation and promise to
check with them and get back later.
- Do you defend their action explaining how it fits with the
organization's vision, mission, strategy, and strategic goals.
True teamwork requires that team members understand, support, and
defend each other's actions.
|
