Teamwork and Collaboration

It’s no secret that teamwork is an important key to success for both in everyday life and business. There is a saying that there is no “I” in “TEAM” and how true that is!

I have done some research and everything points back to "team collaboration" have a read below on some of the keypoints which I have highlighted from varies articles.

It is one thing to create a team, but another to create teamwork & collaboration.

There is no "I" in "TEAM"

What is teamwork?

Teamwork and Collaboration goes hand in hand. Taken from the French language (esprit de corps) describes it – A sense of unity, of enthusiasm for common interest and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons closely associated in a task, cause, enterprise."

Wikipedia – “Collaboration refers abstractly to all processes wherein people work together.”

Oxford Dictionary – “United labor, co-operation; especially in literary, artistic or scientific work.”

Webster – “To work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.”

Teamwork itself is a challenge. There is a mix of egos, personalities, values, humility and conflict resolution when you bring a group of people together. Everyone must be clear and have the same values, ethics and focus towards a common goal.

It is important that within a business structure, management shares with their team the vision, the end goal, KPI’s, roles clarification and timeline. This must be (S.M.A.R.T) Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. It is the glue which keeps a team together; a bond which promotes strength, support, good culture and reliability.

Just as important to celebrate the team is to celebrate individuality. Teamwork will naturally improve when you give individuals the freedom to work in their own way which makes them most productive. Respect the individuality of each worker to boost engagement, teamwork and employee retention.

Most obstacle we face can be overcome by teamwork through the individual strengths put together to form one united team.

In today’s society, teams are different from the past. Success of a great team comes down to the company’s fundamentals for group collaboration. Having a clear direction, strong structure and support continues to ensure the best recipe for success.

High-performing teams have individuals with a balance of skillsets. Having diversity in knowledge, age, gender, cultural background and different points of views can help in creativity and visionary thinkers. 

Diversity in knowledge

This in return will always keep you in a forward momentum, help teams to overcome obstacles and keeps you at the forefront of the competition.

DEAKINCo. Summarised teamwork into 5 successful elements:

1. Communication:

Effective communication is the most important part of teamwork and involves consistently updating each person and never assuming that everyone has the same information. Being a good communicator also means being a good listener. By listening to your colleagues, you show them respect, which is an essential trust-building method. Offering encouragement also goes a long way to getting the best out of team members. Collaborating and being open to new ideas are also essential ingredients for a harmonious team environment. 

2. Delegation:

Teams that work well together understand the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. One of the benefits of strong teamwork is that team leaders and members are adept at identifying all aspects of a project and allocating tasks to the most appropriate team members. 

3. Efficiency:

A strong and cohesive team develops systems that allow them to collaborate efficiently to complete tasks in a timely manner. Through working together, colleagues will be aware of their own capabilities and the capabilities of the group in general and can organise the workload accordingly.

4. Ideas:

When a team works well together, colleagues feel more comfortable offering suggestions and ideas. A respectful and trusting team environment will not only enable colleagues to think more creatively but will lead to more productive and collaborative brainstorming sessions.

5. Support:

All workplaces provide challenges but having a strong team environment in place can act as a support mechanism for staff members. They can help each other improve their own performance as well as working together toward improving their professional development. Building bonds on trust and reliance on each other can be extremely important when facing a particularly difficult challenge or if the group is forced to deal with the loss of a team member while continuing to maintain productivity.

Good teamwork means a synergistic way of working with each person committed and working towards a shared goal. Teamwork maximises the individual strengths of team members to bring out their best. It is therefore a necessity that leaders facilitate and build the teamwork skills of their people if they are to steer a company toward success.

Teamwork maximises the individual strengths of team members

Monica Eaton-Cardone provides some good examples of how to build a collaborative team in an article she wrote below;

Examples of how to build a collaborative team

The power of collaboration lies in combining the talents of a group in order to maximize the amount of energy, passion and creativity released by each member.

Collaborators can bounce ideas back and forth, feeding off of each other’s innovation and stoking the team’s collective fire.

This way, not only will the team showcase greater performance, but each member will be more engaged and loyalty to the organization will naturally develop.

Step 1: Build teams based around individuals’ strengths

Creating a culture of collaboration will begin with a realistic and honest overview of each individual’s abilities, as well as vulnerabilities.

You want to build teams based around individuals who can complement one another, and whose members each reinforce where another member might not be as strong.

At the same time, collaborators have to be compatible on a personal level as well, which leads to our next point…

Step 2: Encourage the collaborative spirit

Team members will work together better when they have real, genuine relationships with one another.

Of course, you can’t force that to happen—rather, you have to facilitate the building of relationships organically between collaborators.

It’s easier to build relationships when people work face-to-face, and when people can relate to and empathize with one another.

Team members have to care about not just their own success, but the success of those around them and the organization as a whole.

Step 3: Encourage open-mindedness

Ask teams to approach each situation openly.

That includes not just problem-solving in the course of fulfilling their roles, but also interpersonally at the office.

Individuals will likely be paired with coworkers who have different perspectives and experiences at some point during their collaboration.

All team members will need to come to know and understand one another in order to create a sense of security within the group.

Open-mindedness leads to a safer and more comfortable teamwork environment, in turn, positively impacting revenue by encouraging retention and improved overall performance.

Step 4: Reward innovation

Innovation and agility are the keys to maintaining the competitive edge in any industry.

That’s why you should always encourage your teams to challenge the status quo.

A disregard for conventional wisdom brings fresh ideas that benefit the organization with new, more effective strategies.

Recognizing this outside-the-box thinking gives employees a sense that they are invested in, and valued by, the company.

Step 5: Spread the delegation of tasks

You don’t want to have the same people calling all of the shots all of the time. When this happens, individuals start to feel powerless, as if they have no influence or impact on the organization. That causes passion to leave the team.

You want to spread important tasks across a wide range of people.

This actually has a dual-positive effect—not only does everyone feel valued and that they have an important role to play within the company, but you also keep individuals from feeling overloaded and overwhelmed.

A collaborative environment can’t thrive when a few people represent a bottleneck and everyone else has no decision-making power.

Step 6: Diversify

You don’t want employees to think only of their own insular group; rather, you want them to make decisions which benefit the entire organization.

The best way to do that is to ensure individuals understands the role that each team performs and the value that everyone adds to the company.

Don’t be afraid to rearrange teams and their objectives.

Give everyone the opportunity to understand the skills and value each department contributes to the whole.

All the best!

Aaron Chuah - General Manager, Sales