If Team Members Only Think of Themselves, the Team Won't Work

Teamwork Brings Results! Where to Start for a Unified and Cohesive Team

Teamwork is what brings real results. Regardless of individual brilliance, results will always be mediocre without a collaborative team effort. Recognizing the need for a team is where it all begins. Although there are tasks one can handle alone, it often becomes clear that working together is much more effective. But how to ensure the team is unified and cohesive?

Trust as the Starting Point

Trust should be the foundational element of effective teamwork. Reflect on whether there is sufficient trust in your team. Consider the most important people in your team: could you follow their instructions blindly, without knowing the exact details of the task? Although it might seem like an extreme approach, it's a good indicator of the level of trust. Relationships in a team start with trust, openness, and straightforwardness. Can we discuss things as they really are? Can important topics be discussed openly and honestly, even in uncomfortable situations, without fear of repercussions? Surprisingly, it is through navigating discomfort that a team can progress to the next level.

Establishing Trust by Decision

Often, trust needs to be established by a conscious decision. If a two-hour conversation doesn't lead to trusting someone, something might be missing. Trust is a decision, but there must also be a shared, conscious core idea – a reason for acting together. The selection of team members must be thorough, considering not just competence, but also values. What becomes decisive is the mutual interaction that starts with trust and the conscious combination of people’s strengths.

Organizations often have values, visions, and missions, which are important if they are substantial and conscious. But it's also essential to look at the specific team and understand the team's driving idea. What is the greater purpose of our coexistence? Once this is clear, consider the team's selection criteria and motivation. The question mainly boils down to whether people can apply their strengths at work and whether the team is balanced in terms of necessary strengths.

Reelika Ein often reminds me, "Stick to your strengths, Mats!" – advice that has proven time and again to be as right as it gets.

Understanding Others for Effective Teamwork

Belbin's 9 team roles are instrumental in this process, each with unique strengths and allowable weaknesses. While everyone has multiple strong and weak roles, as well as manageable roles representing huge hidden potential, it's important to distinguish between developing weaknesses and managing them. It has been shown that trying to develop one's inherent weaknesses may not be as effective as once thought. However, it is crucial to take control over these weaknesses to prevent them from becoming non-allowable weaknesses that can ruin teamwork.

The key lies in learning how to work with people who have a different combination of top team roles. By embracing and integrating diverse strengths within a team, we can create a more dynamic, effective, and cohesive unit. This approach allows team members to focus on developing their strengths and hidden potential in manageable roles. It fosters an environment where every member can contribute with their best attributes while compensating for each other's weak spots.

Individuals do not make good carbon copies of one another but only pale shadows whenever they attempt to imitate. - Jo Keeler reminded me the quote by Dr. Meredith Belbin

Treating others as they would like to be treated, rather than how we would like to be treated, is key to getting the team functioning effectively. When we truly get to know people, smartly combine contrasting strengths, and create an open and trusting environment, everything falls into place, and outstanding results are achieved.

If Team Members Only Think of Themselves, the Team Won't Work

Skeptics , for example, are often misunderstood. They are not opposed to ideas; they just need all the information and a full understanding of the issue to move forward. By changing the attitude towards skeptics and approaching them appropriately, a rational, emotion-free, analytical, and fair decision-maker emerges in the team.

Ultimately, if team members only think of themselves, the team won't function. But when they think of others, the team starts working effectively. However, it's important not to forget about one's own needs and contributions in the process.

As Helena Laus insightfully remarked, "Confidence doesn't increase by comparing yourself with others! Compare yourself only with your past self and learn to work together with people who are different from you."

#Teamwork, #Leadership, #Belbin, #Collaboration, #TrustInTeams