Introduction
This article will develop some of the most relevant issues for teamwork, since this is one of the least developed in Mexico, due to the lack of communication and fear of expressing ourselves in front of others.
In order to understand the article we must take into account what communication entails, which is a process which must have an issuer, receiver, contact, communication channel, the message, a code, and a noise. These elements belong to the process of communicating and are presented day by day.
The antecedents and the techniques are influencing factors since they have been perfected over time as well as the use that they are given, the portations of great scientists to the communication process within a work area and more than anything to psychology that allows us to interact in a healthy way with people with our same interests and start building our work groups according to our capacities and objectives to arrive in a fast and concrete way without forgetting the feedback that can be given during the process of some draft.
Motivation is one that forces us to face our fears and as psychological research says, all these are part of our physiological needs of man and must be reinforced, otherwise they are lost, falling into a state of non-compliance with needs and abilities.
The other points that this article develops are focused on the methods for creating efficient teams through dynamics and knowledge, since teamwork has been carried out since we are small and the need to cover all our needs.
Teamwork Background
As we know, teamwork over the years has been adapting to the needs of society, whether for better or for worse, but not only teamwork stands out, but also communication to be able to carry out social movements and strategies, always contemplating to a leader who starts it all, which tells us that there is always a way to work as a team despite difficulties.
All this arises in the principles of man, where the lack of weapons forced us to live in colonies in which they needed to work as a team to distribute all the resources. The discovery of the meat and skin of the animals was a factor that developed the hunt, which required discipline and communication to catch large prey such as mammoths and later for their distribution.
As the years went by, these techniques were developed and not only served to survive, but it became more a necessity to expand and have more territory, the examples would be the oldest nation in the world, China was one of the first nations In using teamwork for what we call war, and I develop it out of the need to expand the king's empire and also to prevent the entry of the Mongols into Chinese cities, for more things that China happened more than anything else wars for years So much happened that the Chinese writer Sun Tzu wrote "The Art of War" in which he described various tactics and strategies used by the Chinese empires in their conquests.
Through all kinds of strategies they have passed through the years and in almost none has anything been achieved without teamwork.The Vikings, Romans, Spaniards and Egyptians all use the same principle of the need to work with other people to Reaching a goal was not always pretty since power and conquests led to the use of slavery, which was the use of people from other nations trapped by war and forced to work until death.
As the years, decades and centuries passed, the needs and technological advances gave another meaning to the word teamwork since conquests were a thing of the past and now they focused on well-being and developing skills that would bring their own benefits to a future and no more for a person with authority over a nation.
Job specialization and globalization brought new working methods, leaving the war behind and bringing companies, which had jobs that required specific skills to fulfill. The work always needed teams for the largest products and with this a person who knew the process and was constantly directing the activities.
These teamwork cannot be done since they involve more than similar work and skills, that is why group integration activities were developed since communication became an important part of work harmony.
Teamwork expanded into branches covering branches that were not expected, sciences such as human and chemical sciences, which seek to understand how we can relate to others and how they influence the decisions of the future in an individual. An example of how in society you can find and work as a team according to a need, the living example was developed by Adolf Hitler who after having passed the First World War and ending up being a lazy, began to see that the people who They did not fight for the country, they became rich, it is here when he takes the initiative to give speeches in a bar where he realizes that people agree with him and the Nazi movement begins, it is not necessary to tell the whole story because many already we know.
The above shows us that teamwork needs always arise from problems that surround a current situation and it is almost impossible to make a decision alone. It is from the above that teamwork theories begin to develop, where 3 theories developed by Skinner, Maslow, and Freud which focus their study on the workplace.
Sigmund Freud despite developing psychoanalysis, he argued that all behavior is motivated by some biological impulse, which lead to accumulations of energy within the nervous system.
Anxiety (drive) warns of the need to act and ensures that the behavior happens at the time and in the way necessary.
Burrhus Frederic Skinner, like the others focused on psychology, believed that it is possible to explain the behavior of individuals as a set of physiological behaviors which were conditioned by the environment, based on the study of Pavlov's classical conditioning, that all behavior is carried out to get a prize, and it doesn't necessarily have to happen on animals.
Operant conditioning was the greatest part of human behavior. It develops that all voluntary behavior of the body has a relationship with the environment and that response can be molded to strengthen or weaken it, thus changing and molding it to the need of the environment that surrounds it.
Within his research he reached six results according to the new behavior:
- Reinforcement: the new behavior increases its frequency with a reinforcing stimulus Avoidance: A new one is acquired to avoid the stimulus of a behavior and reach its disappearance Superstition: When a consequence appears and increases the frequency of this Punishment: the forcing of a behavior that does not received stimulation or follow-up, leading to the unpleasant. Forgetfulness: all that behavior that was not applied or reinforced, decreases its frequency and disappears.
Disagreeing with his investigation is summarized as the fact that all conduct must be treated and reinforced so that it is carried out in the desired way, otherwise this fails and it is inevitable to apply the conduct.
Abraham Maslow within humanistic psychology starts from the idea that man is an integrated and organized whole, without different parts and any reason that affects the system affects the whole person. The part of the development of a healthy being, in which the motivation is the need, in this the Maslow's pyramid was raised, which explains that for the proper functioning of man certain physiological needs, security, belonging, esteem and self-realization.
All these lead us to coexistence with other people, so it is necessary to create a state in which you can constantly learn by prioritizing needs, taking into account the factor of third parties who have the same need to cover as yourself..
In order to work as a team, it is necessary to fit where we want to go and with whom, since these people influence our behavior, regardless of the objective and not forgetting that someone will guide us to reach that goal.
Teamwork techniques
- Build confidence. Trust is the main element of teamwork. It fosters an environment where all participants know each other's abilities, understand their roles, and know how to help each other. Set common goals. For your employees to work as a team, they must pursue the same goals. For this reason, it is important that you communicate the mission of the company in a uniform way and that you define how each member and department can contribute to fulfilling it. Create a sense of belonging.Human beings need to feel part of something; therefore, the most powerful factor in team building is the development of a common identity. Define what identifies your teams, set values and make each member aware of their impact on the team. Involve your people in decisions. Nothing affects teamwork more than the fact that decisions are made by an autocratic leader. To avoid this, promote the generation of ideas, open your mind and motivate each employee to share their opinion. If you have this feedback, it will be easier to implement any changes or strategies. Make there an understanding between the parties.It is very easy to criticize or underestimate the work of others when one does not know it or has not executed it. To create empathy among your workers, perform rotation exercises between areas. This way, each member will know what the other's work consists of and how they can contribute to doing it better. Motivates responsibility and mutual commitment. When a person is part of a team, she knows that the achievements or failures are the responsibility of each and every one of the members. Don't encourage the “this is not my problem” mentality; make the problems and successes shared. Boost communication.The only way for all members to work as an orchestra is if the proper communication channels exist. Real teams listen to each other and give each other feedback. They are willing to change their minds and strategize together. Take advantage of the fun. A homogeneous work team can operate efficiently but without much innovation. When creating your teams, try to ensure that there are different personalities and interests, but that values and a commitment to the company are shared. Celebrate group successes.Although it is also important to recognize individual work, it is key that rewards are given for team results. When something goes well, gather everyone involved and thank them for their work. Try to highlight the role of each one, but celebrate the group result. Be a leader. Every work team needs a leader to guide and bring together individual efforts. Don't "wash your hands" and be part of the team. As a leader you will have to reach consensus and make decisions, based on the ideas and opinions of your team.
Teamwork dynamics
Integration dynamics are part of teamwork, since they develop communication skills between each of the members. The leader is the person in charge of carrying out these for the proper functioning of the field work; the use and strengthening of skills such as:
- Promote dialogue Generate a climate of trust and acceptance Overcome emotional and social problems Exchange experiences and feelings Integration into the reality of others Expression skills Transmission of ideas and opinions
Disagreeing with the points that a work dynamic should take for the union of a group, we plant some activities that can always be useful by raising an objective and its development:
- Trust
Objective:
See the possibility and capacity that each one has to place their trust in the group. Discuss what is needed so that there is a good level of trust in the group.
Development:
Group members stand close together, forming a small circle.
You go to the center, close your eyes, and with your feet together you drop back. The group supports it, preventing it from falling; but it supports him when, without balance, he is about to fall. You want the feeling of depending on the group to be perceived.
The same is done with each of the members of the group.
After the experience, the group talks about the existing trust, based on some points:
Emotions that were perceived:
- Difficulties in placing trust in the group When there is trust in the group Feeling that the group is supportive and supportive, at what moments. At the end the dynamics are evaluated.
- Order my mess
Objective: To make work teams aware of the negative impact that their acts or omissions can have on other people or teams, thus affecting organizational effectiveness.
LAYOUT: At least two teams of 6-10 people (in pairs) MATERIAL: Each team will have 1 cord of 75 cm. long each for each pair.
DURATION: 5 minutes to tie, 10 minutes to untie, 5 minutes of questions
This dynamic is perfect for showing work teams how complicated it is for others to put in order what we mess up, either through carelessness or because we simply are not aware of the consequences of our actions on others.
In the first part of the exercise, the members of each team stand in a circle at opposite points in the room. Each member of the team holds one end of the rope, forming a star (the opposite end of my cord will be held by the person in front of me). The facilitator tells them to tie all the cords, going over or under the ropes of their partners, without ever letting go of the end of the rope.
At the end of 5 minutes, the instructor asks each team to place their knotted rope on the ground and the teams exchange places with each other. For the next 10 minutes, they will try to undo the knots caused by the other team, once again without releasing the rope.
At the end of the exercise, the facilitator will ask participants how they felt about the exercise and how its teachings can be applied to the organizational environment, emphasizing the frustration that can be felt from wasting valuable time from one's own work trying to order what someone else more mess.
At the end of the activities we will be able to observe how they will help us to better communication that will allow us to solve problems more quickly, with better expression of ideas and without fear of speaking before a group of people, because that is what the dynamics of giving a plus to the company that the others do not have "good communication".
How to build a stronger, well-organized team
Although societies have more individualistic traits, from the business sphere, teamwork is motivated, encouraged and exploited due to the great benefits it provides to companies. No matter the area, the size and the objectives that are planned, if there is a good work group, it will be easier and more effective to carry out.
The advantages of having a good work team are diverse. Your company will enjoy greater efficiency, shared leadership, sharing of efforts and responsibilities, motivation, cooperation and help among members, fusion of ideas and greater display of creativity, among others.
The interrelation and permanent communication enables better management and capacity to develop activities and ideas.
Every good entrepreneur can agree that fostering teamwork is a very useful tool, but doing it optimally is a very difficult task as well. Human beings, by nature, tend to work individually and it takes a lot of effort to work in groups. It is also common not to know how to listen to the ideas of others, to value them and to see in them very interesting solutions to situations that would hardly be resolved if a single person is responsible for it.
Here we show you a simple and effective recipe to achieve its optimal use:
- Select the right people:
It is key to have the correct combination of people in a team, and therefore the knowledge, interests and experience relevant to the task to be carried out must be evaluated, as well as the willingness of the individuals for collaboration.
- Encourage a teamwork climate:
Therefore, the basic working principles must be defined from the beginning.
- Promote open dialogue:
One of the purposes of the team is to increase the contributions of each of its members. A collaborative environment will facilitate the free expression of ideas and opinions.
- Be clear about expectations:
People need to know what is expected of them and in what time frame they should achieve it.
- Empowers people for action:
A team works best when it is allowed to have the authority to perform a task. Often the best thing a manager can do is not get in the way of the team.
- Provide the necessary resources:
The team must have the right place, the technical and budgetary resources, and enough time to do its job.
- Communicate, communicate and communicate:
That is, strive to develop an effective communication process that facilitates the transmission of messages and feedback.
- Celebrate teamwork
You must recognize and reward those people who excel on the team. The type of award is not as important as publicly highlighting a job well done.
- Encourage a sense of belonging.
There are many resources to strengthen the sense of belonging to a work group and its integration. Organize talks and group leisure events, organize trips, establish prizes for the best group performance, group retreats, design volunteering and social activities with the community.
Motivation and teamwork
Motivation
It is an inner force that changes every moment throughout life, that directs and reinforces the goals of an individual. Thus, when we say that motivation is something internal, that is, that it is within each individual, it is a mistake to say that someone motivates us or to postpone, because no one can do it.
But we agree that the interior is daily influenced by the external environment, which includes people and things. We can be influenced by the enthusiasm of someone who motivates us to do something. Already in certain situations and depending on the temperament of the person, or even his personality in general, we can provide some independence for the external environment. That is, your inner strength of motivation is high and you "don't need" help or low and you "need support."
The level of motivation is influenced by various factors such as personality, individual perceptions of the environment, human interactions, and emotions.
Approaches
The human being is a creature of necessity. In this sense, human behavior is guided by needs during the early stages of development. Human needs are not natural, to be created, invented by man. Since no human behavior is in need of justification, it is the task of motivation psychology students to study the reasons, intrinsic to human instincts that lead them to act, to behave in a certain way and not another. The motivation theory aims to map human motives, trying to explain observed behavior in a form of language that is intelligible in the real world of man, through writing. Since human beings have the ability to build as well as to destroy,It is very important for him to understand a little of the instincts that lead to destroy and prevent the continuation of the construction of his life. There is no way of knowing all possible explanations, for man a new explanation can always be invented. However, more and more elements knowing that they explain human behavior, may have a greater range of possibilities that men help to reconcile their internal desires with the limits that the external environment requires, combining their interests without infringing the interests of others human beings. Thus, human beings can have a healthier mental life, as they realize their unconscious instincts. There are several theories to explain the behavior. As the motivation of an essential object of study for these theories,it is natural that each of you has given special attention. For behaviorists, motivation is explained with concepts such as reward and incentive, the reward of being an attractive object or event is the result of a particular behavior, and the encouragement of an object or an event that encourages or discourages the behavior. So when a student is promised a high grade or a work team is recognized for their effort, this is an incentive, and when the grade comes out it is a reward. Behavioral motivation is seen as extrinsic. There is another approach that developed as a reaction to Freudian behaviorism and psychoanalysis, the humanities. These theories do not adequately explain the motivations for the behavior.Humanists like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow emphasize the intrinsic sources of motivation, such as the needs for "self-actualization," the innate "trend manager," or the "need for self-determination." In common, these different explanations have the belief that people are continually motivated by an innate need to reach their potential. Another approach that intrinsic motivation will have more importance is cognitive. Cognitive psychologists believe that behavior is determined by our way of thinking, not just the awards it ultimately received. People react to their own interpretations of external events rather than to the events themselves. So are the internal factors that determine our behavior.such as the needs for "self-realization," the innate "trend manager," or the "need for self-determination." In common, these different explanations have the belief that people are continually motivated by an innate need to reach their potential. Another approach that intrinsic motivation will have more importance is cognitive. Cognitive psychologists believe that behavior is determined by our way of thinking, not just the awards it ultimately received. People react to their own interpretations of external events rather than to the events themselves. So are the internal factors that determine our behavior.such as the needs for "self-realization," the innate "trend manager," or the "need for self-determination." In common, these different explanations have the belief that people are continually motivated by an innate need to reach their potential. Another approach that intrinsic motivation will have more importance is cognitive. Cognitive psychologists believe that behavior is determined by our way of thinking, not just the awards it ultimately received. People react to their own interpretations of external events rather than to the events themselves. So are the internal factors that determine our behavior.These different explanations have the belief that people are continually motivated by the innate need to reach their potential. Another approach that intrinsic motivation will have more importance is cognitive. Cognitive psychologists believe that behavior is determined by our way of thinking, not just the awards it ultimately received. People react to their own interpretations of external events rather than to the events themselves. So are the internal factors that determine our behavior.These different explanations have the belief that people are continually motivated by the innate need to reach their potential. Another approach that intrinsic motivation will have more importance is cognitive. Cognitive psychologists believe that behavior is determined by our way of thinking, not just the awards it ultimately received. People react to their own interpretations of external events rather than to the events themselves. So are the internal factors that determine our behavior.not just the awards he finally received. People react to their own interpretations of external events rather than to the events themselves. So are the internal factors that determine our behavior.not just the awards he finally received. People react to their own interpretations of external events rather than to the events themselves. So are the internal factors that determine our behavior.
T IPOS needs
- Desire for physiological needs, (more urgent) need for food (hunger and thirst), sleep and rest, shelter (hot or cold) and sexual. These requirements are essential for the survival of the individual and the propagation of the species. Safety needs, physiological needs Once met the person seeking to satisfy the need to feel protected and free from danger. Social needs (love and relationships), needs for association, participation, friendship, love, acceptance of peers. Anticipated needs and, like needs relating to how individuals are assessed - feelings of self-recognition and social respect, status, prestige, and consideration.Self-realization needs (unless urgent) requirements related to competence and harnessing the potential of each individual, development, maximizing performance not all people who reach the top of the pyramid.
Leadership and teamwork
Leadership is the process of realization of a group of people, turning it into a team that generates results. It is the ability to motivate and influence team members, in an ethical and positive way to contribute voluntarily and enthusiastically to achieve the goals of the team and the organization.
Thus, the leader differs from the boss, who is the person responsible for a task or activity of an organization and, to this end, leads a group of people, the authority to send and demand obedience.
Leadership study
The nature and exercise of leadership has been studied by man throughout his history. Bernard Bass (2007) argues that "since childhood, the study of history has been the study of leaders - the what and why they did what they did." The search for the ideal leader is also present in philosophy. Plato, for example, argued in The Republic that the conductor had to be educated in the law, which describes his ideal of "philosopher king". Other examples of philosophers who addressed the question are Confucius and his "wise king" as well as Tao and his "servant leader."
Scholars hold leadership as the subject of scientific inquiry has emerged only after the 1930s outside the field of philosophy and history.
Over time, research and literature on leadership theories have evolved from describing the personal traits and characteristics of effective leaders, through a functional approach describing the basic idea that effective leaders must be made, and arrive. to a contingency or situational approach, which is more flexible, adaptable for effective leadership.
In recent years, much of this research and work has been criticized for being too limited in scope, more concerned with explaining the behavior of leaders face-to-face with their employees, rather than examining leaders in more context. broad of their organizations, giving little attention to the role of the organization's leadership in terms of dealing with environmental changes. The process of the highest importance to which we must emphasize.
T e ories
According to Chiavenato, the Theory of Human Relations took note of the influence of leadership on people's behavior. There are three main theories about leadership:
- R asks. According to this theory, the leader has strong personality characteristics that meet the requirements for the job. E s t ilos leadership. This theory has three styles of leadership: autocratic, democratic and liberal. Leadership situations. In this theory, the leader can assume different leadership patterns, according to the situation and for each member of his team.
For Lacombe leaders to influence people through their power, which can be the legitimate power derived from the exercise of a position, referent of power, depending on the qualities and charisma of the leader of knowledge and power, exercised through the knowledge the leader has.
Leadership styles
- E l autocratic leadership: Leadership in the autocratic leader focuses only on tasks. This type of leadership is also called authoritarian or political leadership. The leader makes individual decisions, without taking into account the opinions of the students. Democratic Leadership: Call for participatory and consultative leadership, yet this type of leadership is related to the people and there is no student participation in decision-making. Faire leadership liberal or laissez:laissez-faire is the contraction of the words in French laissez faire, the laissez Aller, laissez passer, which literally means "letting go, letting go, letting go." This type of leadership of people has more freedom in the execution of their projects, which could indicate a mature and self-directed team that does not require constant supervision. On the other hand, liberal leadership can also be a sign of negligent and weak leadership, where the leader gives up the faults and mistakes without correcting them. Paternalistic leadership:Paternalism is a management atrophy where the leader and his team have interpersonal relationships similar to those of father and son. Paternalistic leadership can be comfortable and led to avoid conflict, but it is not the appropriate model in a professional relationship, such as a parental relationship, more important than the father is the son unconditionally. Already in a professional relationship, the balance must prevail and that the results are obtained by the team are more important than an individual.
Leadership
Leadership is an important issue for managers, because they are the primary leaders representing group and organizational effectiveness. Leaders are responsible for the success or failure of the organization. Leading is not an easy task. Conversely. Leadership requires patience, discipline, humility, respect and commitment, because the organization is a living being, endowed with employees of many different types.
Thus, leadership can be defined as the process of directing and influencing activities related to the functions of the members of a group. However, there are three important consequences in this context.
First, leadership involves other people, which will help define the leader's situation. Second, leadership involves an unequal distribution of power between leaders and other members of the group. And third, leadership is the ability to use different forms of power to influence followers in various ways.
In fact, leaders influence followers. For this reason, many believe that leaders have a duty to consider the ethics of their decisions. While leadership is important to management and the close relationship with it, leadership and management are not the same concepts.
Planning, budgeting, monitoring, maintaining order, developing strategies and other activities are part of management. Management is what we do. Leadership is about us.
A person can be an effective manager, a good planner and manager, and organized, and still have the motivational skills of a leader. Or the opposite can happen. A person can be an effective manager, but instead they have the skills necessary for a good leader.
Among the challenges posed by the changing environment, organizations increasingly value managers who have leadership skills. Anyone who aspires to be an effective manager must also be mindful of practice and develop their leadership skills.
Importance of teamwork
With increasing global competition, companies are forced to increase productivity by using more and more limited resources. To achieve this productivity, more and more companies are using teamwork as an effective and efficient instrument to achieve goals. Here are some of the factors considered essential for an effective and efficient team:
Clearly define teamwork goals.
All team members must be clear about the objectives of their work. Without well defined and articulated work objectives the team cannot be successful. During the course of the work, the team must also occur consistently making progress towards achieving the objectives.
Comply with the procedures that govern the team's work.
All team members must contribute to the establishment of procedures regarding the holding of the leadership team in terms of organization and relationship. Once these procedures have been defined, the guidelines must be followed by everyone to achieve the objectives.
Adequately evaluate the time factor.
A certain period of time, weeks, even months, may be allowed to allow a team to operate efficiently and effectively. In fact, team members must have the time to develop procedures and strategies necessary to work effectively and also to deepen mutual understanding.
Selection of team members.
It is important to ensure that team members represent all business sectors involved in the goal. And “even more important that these components can present and discuss the issues openly within their sector of interest to the work team and also have decision-making power over them.
Evaluate the capacity of the team.
It is necessary to analyze the capabilities and experience of each team member as much as possible. This will ensure that it is easier to quickly identify which equipment has the most suitable characteristics to solve emerging problems.
The presence of a figure of reference and support.
A team should always have a component manager or manager who acts as an advisor and mentor. The identification and investiture of this figure until the beginning of the team's activities is also evidence of the company's importance of the team's work.
Active support from authority figures.
Management must recognize achievements, favoring teamwork, highlighting continuous positive progress and reflecting aspects that can be improved. Consistently, even on a regular basis, that the entire company for the value and importance of the work team activities.
Teamwork offers the opportunity to achieve results more effectively and efficiently. As teamwork is much more flexible than with a single individual, a team is able to leverage its resources more directly to respond quickly to sudden market changes. In addition, the team also allows the transfer of knowledge and experiences among its members, helping to increase the competence and experience of each individual in order to increase the resources available in the company.
Strategies for team building
It all starts with communication. As Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, says, “for a company to be considered communication-oriented, it does not necessarily need to have the latest communication technology: it only requires that every manager ask himself, who needs what? information, where and when ”.
Therefore, the information must move in all directions, in addition, each member of the team must have enough confidence and security to say what they think and what not.
As we mentioned earlier, different skills, abilities, and aptitudes are brought together in a team.
The key here is the rapid detection of these by the leader. Thus, each person can contribute something different and do it well, being clear about their responsibilities.
Never forget that diversity is what will make your team great and strong.
Organization is a keyword and each person in the company must internalize it.
For many, the great task of a company leader is to have a “holographic” team, in which each member of the team reflects the organization, that is, its values, mission, vision and expectations.
Analyze your work team and answer if they are the true reflection of your company.
It is essential that each member of the team knows the objectives. These must be specific, measurable, quantifiable and challenging.
Meanwhile, the leader must periodically remind workers how work is going, how much is missing, what has failed and what must be reinforced.
None of the above would be possible without working in a pleasant environment.
The respect and camaraderie of both group members and the leader are essential to encourage people to work and strive to achieve the objectives.
- They make group decisions. Although not everyone agrees at first, they have the ability to reach consensus and come up with ways to get on the boat.
- They hold productive meetings. After each meeting, attendees know well what steps to take and feel that their presence was essential. During the meetings, new ideas and strategies are generated to grow the company.
- Creativity and innovation are encouraged. When all members know what to do and know its impact on the business, new ideas and innovations are produced that enable growth.
- They listen. They are all on the same page and when a problem arises they are ready to support. In addition, they actively listen to the opinions of others and help offer solutions.
- You make all the decisions.
- Each area cares about its own goals and blames others for not reaching them.
- They do not know or communicate continuously with each other.
- There is competition (not "healthy") between areas or individuals.
- They do not trust the other members or there is a lack of respect towards their work.
- You speak as "me" and not as "us".
Disadvantages of team problem solving
Teamwork is sometimes criticized for presenting a series of disadvantages that should be taken into account. Among them, the following may refer:
- Make decisions prematurely. That the domain of a few people prevails, in particular that of a leader. Spending a lot of time in meetings discussing solutions and actions, delaying their implementation. That there is pressure on team members to accept solutions. Responsibility. ambiguous because it is diluted in the group.
However, these defects that are frequent in the groups disappear in the teams when they reach the level of maturity.
To form a work team, it is necessary to consider not only the intellectual capacities of its possible members but also their socio-psychological and personality characteristics of each component. Certain teams are formed to carry out specific tasks, others to advise and others to manage.
A dysfunctional participation in the team indicates that something is wrong. A more in-depth diagnosis of the organization and its conflicts is therefore necessary. Some examples of dysfunctional participation are:
Aggression, in direct forms such as irony, contempt, workplace harassment, hostility and indifference.
The blocking from negative attitudes, resistance, continuous denial, constant disagreement, opposition to logic, lack of cooperation, obstruction to prevent the successful completion of the work and the diversion of attention to less significant issues.
Desertion, not being physically or psychologically present, isolating and absent without reasons.
The division, the excessive call of attention, the imperative need to attract sympathy and display successes.
In teamwork and fostering companionship, the role of leaders is important. They work so that there is agreement on the objectives and that these are clear, as well as that everyone feels committed and involved with the tasks.
Educational projection
Today's principals recognize that work teams offer many advantages over traditional ways of organizing work.
Teamwork helps each of the elements that make it up to increase their capacities and abilities. Likewise, it motivates them to improve their weaknesses and solve problems together.
Teamwork unites several people in the search for common goals and objectives, which produces a better understanding between coworkers.
It is important to clarify that a "group" is two or more people who come together because of common interests or preferences, through: committees, directive councils, and operational groups of departmental processes (technical education and training, school or related to the productive sector), to improve quality, increase terminal efficiency, reduce absenteeism from classes, etc., the coordinator and the members are appointed by the director.
Inside the classrooms
All students in an educational center observe that the relationships of other classmates in the classroom will affect them to the extent that they are reflected in others. In principle, this natural reaction can cause an unwanted stimulus, positive or negative, within the classroom and at the time of voluntary choice within a class group. For teamwork, this fact of the student's feedback is essential for the group's choice. That is why the moderator or teacher is the person indicated for the assignment of students within each group.
Group dynamics have been used since the last century to promote group cohesion. The two objectives that are intended with group work are productivity and behavior. The success or failure of the group will no longer depend on external factors but on the group in question.
The first action to be taken within the group will be the rules to be followed as a group and the objective to be achieved; not as something abstract but as simple rules and a clear objective so that all members of the group can exercise them. There are also 4 more factors in group dynamics that must be taken into account:
- The size of the group, the ideal is 3 or 4 students Unanimity within the group avoiding the halo factor (assuming that having some characteristics have others) The involvement of all The personality of each member of the group
Extroverted students always have a good character for life: tolerance, sympathy… practical virtues. With these students, passivity, superficiality and conformity must be watched. With introverts students, much more reflective than extroverts, they enjoy maladjustment within the group (instinctive isolation), inferiority complex and shyness. But within the group these factors would have to disappear creating an optimal work environment.
The importance of group work in the classroom
Based on the importance for a student as a social being to be able to form a group in their field of study or even in their daily life, it is important to explain that a group is not only a group of people, but that they have a task, something to be resolved between them, in addition to the awareness of belonging to it, which is fundamental because it provides models, norms, values, and so on.
The aforementioned is essential because every human being needs the company of others; It is relevant that each member is accepted by the others thanks to their individual characteristics and that all have the need for esteem, that is, to be appreciated by the group.
Due to this, it can be said that by doing the activities in a group, the students can achieve the aforementioned since they have a double exercise: in addition to performing the prescribed task, they have the possibility of getting to know each other because a deep interaction is established between them centered in communication, which is the most important tool and thanks to it, cohesion will be enhanced. The sum of these factors will allow to have the awareness of belonging, of confirmation by the other members and of esteem.
Therefore, as a first measure, it can be said that students forming groups have a unique opportunity that is not given by individuality, which is to interact with others, feel belonging, group identity, loved ones, among others.
Practical case
Eva, one of the students enrolled in the distance training course and who works as a data recorder, is a little restless. Her direct boss has left the company and in her place, as head of the data recording department, Clara has entered. The new boss is a 35-year-old girl who wants to change the entire operation of the department.
Fourteen people provide their services in the data recording department. Until the arrival of the new boss, what was done is that each person was assigned the recording of certain data, generally consisting of banking operations or marketing surveys. When the assigned work was completed, a new batch of data to be recorded could be requested. Each person worked independently and charged according to the recorded data, no minimum or maximum work to be done was established.
Clara, with the approval of the company's management, intends to end this work system. Upon arrival and after introducing herself, she informed them that from that moment on they would work as a team, but she did not advance anything else.
Eva calls Monica, with whom she has become a close friend since the Cycle began, and even more than once they have met after work for a drink:
Eva: Hi Monica, how are you doing? Have you already started taking a look at the FOL module?
Monica: Yes, now I am with Work Unit 2, that of the work teams, that's fine, it's interesting.
Eva: Work teams? Look, don't talk to me about that subject, I'm black.
We have a new boss and it occurred to her that we work as a team! How about?
Monica: Man, working as a team doesn't seem like a bad idea to me, you get more things than individually, yes as long as the people you work with are nice because if it can't be an ordeal, in general I think it is more enriching.
Eva: What is achieved more and is more enriching? I don't agree! Teamwork is now very fashionable but deep down, nobody likes to work like that. We all like to work individually, don't tell me "milongas", do it at our own pace and in our own way, do whatever we want at all times, because if I'm wrong, I'm wrong… but now I'm going to have to to be discussing with my colleagues what to do and what not to do, how and when… What a ride!
Monica: Don't be so negative, at first until you adapt to each other it will cost a bit, but the moment you have established the rules and limits you will work much better than now, you will see how you do not have to put those palizones to work … The interaction is always good, you'll see. Look, think about the following: if you give me one euro and I give you another, what do we have? 1 euro each, but if you give me one idea and I give you another, then what do we have? Two ideas. Do you see how it is better?
Eva: In some things you are right, but I keep saying that it is better to work individually but I don't know… hey, you are making me change my mind!
Monica: And much more than you will after studying unit 2 of FOL, ha ha ha! Go read it.
Do you think Eva is right, that it is better to work individually than in a group?
What method of work is most advantageous?
conclusion
In order to develop good teamwork, we must take responsibility into account and learn to make decisions as a team and not in isolation in order to have optimal group performance.
Working as a team allows us to have some advantages, such as:
- It allows developing skills such as: communication, leadership, and interpersonal relationships. Responsibilities are shared and complementary skills are brought together. Collectives are more productive than individuals. We also learned that to have good teamwork we need to have a good group organization and some characteristics so that all teamwork flows properly.
We can also conclude that in order to develop a good teamwork we must take into account the values and good communication between the team members in addition to being committed to the objective to be achieved.
References
- High performance teams Maslow, Skinner and MacGregor “Gestiopolis” from: http://www.gestiopolis.com/teoria-de-skinner-maslow-y-mc-gregor-en-equipos-de-alto-rendimiento/Actividades groupales from: http://intervencionorganizacional.com/dinamicas-de-grupo-y-trabajo-en-equipo-gratis/ Orden-mi-desorden-o-recoge-mi-tiradero/ Written at Faculty Nº84 of Zavaleta, Mercedes
