Would the 11 best football players in the world form the best team in the world ?
Nothing could be further from the truth - they would need to be unified by a common goal but most importantly they would need to work together as a team.
It’s the same for a company, the positive group synergy is intimately linked to performance and the behaviour of employees. Teamwork not an innate skill, it is something that is learned and developed over time and is built on a willingness and ability to integrate
Are you an individualist or are you a team player ?
Find out which defines you better ...
Is asking for help a sign of weakness?
There is a big difference in attitude between learning from the knowledge and expertise available in your team and the intimation that you are asking for help because you aren’t qualified to do the work on your own. Taking the advice of others doesn’t mean doing exactly what they would do but merely allows you to approach the problem from a more experienced standpoint.
Do you consciously not share your findings because they might benefit other members of your team?
This method minimizes the real impact of your work because you are the only one to benefit from your findings. On the other hand, you run the risk of doing something in a way that has already been proven ineffective or wrong in the past.
Is your work environment a closed world without any personal interaction?
Knowing people a little better, without invading their privacy, allows you to better appreciate their qualities and defects. A lunch or dinner for a colleague’s birthday, chatting during the coffee break are all opportunities to get to know the people you work with and for them to get to know you; which leads to greater mutual respect and understanding when working together as a team.
Someone else has a problem - is that the moment you focus even more on your own work and don’t get involved?
Sooner or later a problem that arises for another team member will have a repercussion on your work, ‘nipping it in the bud’ is a far more effective way of dealing with a problem before it snowballs into a major event. Your status as a team member is reinforced when you tackle problems together.
Do you prefer to do everything yourself, even if you know someone else can do it better?
Teamwork also means relying on others to accomplish tasks. You delegate if you don’t have enough time or because another person has sufficient skills to accomplish the task at hand. Delegating, also shows that we are confident in our team, it is however, important to be clear in explaining what needs to be done. Working with tools like Planzone helps you share tasks, track progress and keep in contact with the person assigned to the task. Why not give it a try...
