For a long time we have heard phrases like “two heads are better than one”, or “unity is strength”, demonstrating the great importance of teamwork. But it is at present when we notice the true concern of companies to work as a team. However, teamwork is somewhat difficult to achieve given the diversity of factors that influence within a group.
A group can be defined as two or more people who interact, are interdependent and have come together to achieve common goals. Now, a work team is made up of people who work together in the execution of a work activity.
As we said earlier, teamwork is difficult to achieve, and therefore not all workgroups achieve the desired success. This is due to the fact that there are variables such as the capacity of the members of the group, the size of the group, the intensity of the conflicts to be solved and the internal pressures for the members to follow the established norms.
Something that is very important to know is that labor groups are not isolated. In fact, they are part of a larger organization and, therefore, every work team is subject to external conditions imposed on it. Within these conditions are:
The organization's strategy
The strategy defines the goals of the organization and the means to achieve them. Consequently, at any given time, the organization's strategy may influence the power of various work groups, which, in turn, will define the resources that senior management is willing to assign to them to carry out their activities.
Authority structures
Authority structures define who depends on whom, who makes decisions, and what powers individuals or groups have to make decisions. Therefore, although the team may be led by someone from within the group informally, the formally appointed leader will have an authority that other members do not have.
Formal regulations
The more formal rules the organization establishes for its employees, the more consistent and predictable the behavior of work group members will be.
The organization's resources
Some organizations are large, profitable and resource intensive, but on the other hand, there are organizations that do not have these advantages.
The actual achievements of a group largely depend on its ability. The fact that it has or does not have resources such as money, time, raw materials and equipment (allocated by the company) is closely related to the behavior of the group.
Personnel selection processes
The members of any working group are, in the first instance, members of the organization to which the team belongs. Therefore, the criteria applied by the organization for the selection process will determine the type of people that will form its working groups.
Performance evaluation and reward system
Another variant of the organization that affects all employees, and therefore work groups, is the performance evaluation system and rewards and incentives.
As working groups are part of the general system of the organization, the behavior of its members will be conditioned by the way the organization evaluates performance and the actions that are rewarded.
Organizational culture
The organizational culture is made up of the series of behaviors and values that are accepted or rejected within the organization.
To maintain a good position, the members of the work groups have to accept the norms of the culture that dominates in the organization.
Teamwork implies the concentration of individual efforts to achieve previously established common objectives.
To achieve a good group relationship it is necessary that there be a rational organization of its components, but this is not possible if there is no knowledge of the harmonic relationships that must exist between the members.
Another factor that greatly favors teamwork is the organization of the roles of each member, since the incorrect organization or the absence of it, can create confusion of minds, ill will and mistrust between people as in the groups.
The elements that favor teamwork are four:
1. The division of labor.
Its objective is to produce more and better with the same or less effort, clearly defining the functions that each team member has been assigned and detailing the activities that correspond to each function.
The people who make up the team must be technically prepared to develop these activities and consequently assume the responsibilities inherent to them, both in terms of successes and failures, and also looking for alternative solutions to the different problems or conflict situations that arise..
2. Regular meetings.
Regular meetings with the presence of the superior have a great effect on team relations, since they will be able to: expose the existing problem (s); The person responsible for the problem will assume the responsibility of solving it with the support of the management and the collaboration of the other departments. In addition, what we call “brainstorming” or “brainstorming” will arise to resolve the matter, and the person in charge will be able to evaluate and put into practice what is best, as he or she deems appropriate, always remembering the company's objectives.
On the other hand, it is necessary for people with similar responsibilities to get in touch and achieve an exchange of ideas and solutions, obtaining a result superior to those they could achieve individually. The importance of these coordination meetings lies in the fact that they are able to make facts and instructions known to the team members; contribute to the training of attendees, as it familiarizes them with the system of exposing their criteria, teaches them to respect the ideas of others, forces or encourages them to keep up to date through readings, and teaches them to listen.
In addition, we can point out that these meetings also manage to use the best means of offering formal information. In addition, a majority conclusion is reached with a conscious overview, which helps to know the problems with integrity, eradicating misinterpretations. Finally, they involve each and every one of the team members, with an amazing growth in identification with the situation and, consequently, with the company or institution.
3. Mutual knowledge of the groups.
An organization is the sum of its departments, and each one has specific functions that justify its reason for being; However, this does not mean that one department knows the functions of the other, since in many cases the work of one department depends on that of another. You must have a global vision of the company or departments, so that the general mechanism of the same is understood. You should know the oldest groups and try to consult and advise them; similarly, these groups should try to take advantage of the initiative and willingness of the new groups.
In another vein, it is necessary to combine experience with theory. We all know that our companies are full of people who have a rich experience acquired through the practice of many years and that our young professionals and technicians come from the classrooms with a great accumulation of theories that they want to apply, and they find the impassable wall that traditionalist practice creates them. In these cases, both parties must merge knowledge, as both (theory and practice) are important.
4. Administrative liaison between the teams.
Administrative liaison is the key to proper interdepartmental relationships, but for there to be a good administrative liaison, each member of the team must take the following considerations into account:
- Two-way communication between team members Know how to give information Know how to request and offer resources Get simple issues to be resolved among team members without the need to reach higher spheres That team members can be good co-workers, without professional jealousy or intrigue Maintain an attitude of cooperation and cordiality with each of the team members Always keep in mind that the organization's resources are for the achievement of its general objectives, not for particular and specific objectives The differences in criteria should be kept on a purely technical level and never passed on to the staff.
There is something that has become clear, and that is that the vital entity for there to be a productive performance by the work team is each member. Each member of the group must possess qualities that make the team work effectively.
Teamwork means putting into practice some principles of human relations, such as: communication, cooperation, coordination, recognition of the capacity of the work carried out by another member of the group, and trust in the group.
As we said in the first part of this article, the effectiveness of the team depends on each member of the team. All the people who make up the group have a vital influence, which will be good or bad according to the characteristics or human qualities that the person has developed.
Among these skills we can mention communication, cooperation, coordination, recognition of the ability of the work carried out by another member of the group, trust in the group, among others.
Communication is a skill that consists of listening openly and conveying compelling messages. Not everyone knows how to communicate, which is extremely important in interpersonal and group relationships. People who possess this aptitude are characterized by:
- They are effective in sharing, recording emotional clues to fine-tune their message. They face difficult issues head on. They listen, seek mutual understanding, and willingly share information. They encourage open communication and are as receptive to bad news as they are to news. good.
For communication to be effective, the message must be captured by the receiver in the way the sender wishes. To achieve this, it is necessary that:
- The ideas to be transmitted are useful for the receiver. What is going to be transmitted is interesting or important. The expressions used in the transmission of the message are formulated clearly and correctly. The idea manages to be accepted. Is motivated enough so that the people accept the idea and practice it.
Concomitant with communication is cooperation, which is an aptitude that consists of working with others to achieve shared goals. If each of the members of the team contributes a certain effort, it can be said that there is cooperation. Cooperative people are characterized because:
- Balance task stress with attention to personal relationships Collaborate, sharing plans, information and resources Promote a friendly and cooperative climate Discover and nurture opportunities to collaborate
In another order of ideas, we must mention the importance of coordination to achieve the effective functioning of teamwork. Coordinate means to arrange harmoniously and in a functional and orderly way the efforts of a group to give unity of action and thus achieve a common objective. It is the synchronization of the use of resources. It involves meeting with others to reach matching agreements.
If good coordination is achieved we can increase human, economic, physical or material resources, because in this way we prevent duplication when carrying out the work.
On the other hand, it is essential that each person recognize not only the effort that they make, but also that of each of their teammates, since in this way a much stronger union is achieved between the members and everyone feels an important part within the organization, and therefore, they work with greater determination and determination.
In addition, it is necessary to place good trust in the members so that the person feels that the role that each one plays is important and that there is a certain independence when proceeding and making decisions. With this, an increase in the productivity of the team is obtained, since it gives room to the imagination and creativity of each of the members of the group.
Not only are the qualities detailed here important to determine the functionality of the equipment, but there are others such as:
- Empathy or interpersonal understanding The desire to improve, so that the team pays attention to constructive criticism and seeks to learn more Self-knowledge, in terms of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the team Initiative and ability to anticipate them problems Flexibility in the way of approaching collective tasks Organizational awareness in terms of assessing the need for other groups in the company and being resourceful to use what the organization has to offer Create links with other teams
It is worth mentioning that within the work team, the roles played by each of the parties are different, highlighting the role and influence of the group leader or guide, who is the formal or informal person capable of capturing the subtle currents of emotion that circulate. by a group and can interpret the impact of their actions on those streams. One way to establish your credibility is to perceive and articulate these unspoken collective sentiments; another, to make people understand, through actions, that they are understood. In this sense, the leader is a mirror that reflects the experience of the group.
However, it is also a key source in the emotional sphere for the organization. The enthusiasm that emanates from a leader can propel the entire group in that direction. This indicates the great importance of it within the team, so their attitude towards it may or may not be favorable in leading the work group.
Among the favorable attitudes that the leader should take when leading the work groups are:
- Knowing how to work in a team Evaluating the results Involving others in decision-making, especially those they are going to make, sharing successes and failures, Informing, Recognizing good actions, Being a guide, counselor, Allowing and promoting training and growth of other future leaders Set good examples: seriousness, ability, respect, punctuality, emotional maturity and prudence, etc. Improve the work environment in general terms Stay up-to-date on technology Encourage initiative and creativity Make the most of the capacity of the available human resources Motivate other team members to work Give feasible orders to be carried out Efficiently delegate Hold periodic informative and coordination meetings.Permanent and effective communication Defend and represent other members with dignity Demonstrate emotional control Correct in private.
In conclusion, we must remember that teamwork implies the unification of the efforts of all members so that the mission of the group is fulfilled in a fast, simple and efficient way. For this reason we say that working as a team really means achieving that the sum of 2 + 2 is equal to 5, and with this check that indeed, the union is strength.
Document Provided by: Uch de RRHH the portal of RRHH students
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