The Teamworking Impact on Organization - Essay Example

THE TEAMWORKING IMPACT ON ORGANIZATION By IntroductionIn all business organizations, there are vital roles for employee motivation, staff training, leadership and employee career developments that are handled by the Human Resources management. These duties are strongly linked to one another to the function of leadership and motivating individuals in the company. These are the essential and most basic roles in every business organization in addition to the entire human resource management. It is the reason human resources departments are given priority in business organizations (Castka, Sharp & Bamber 2003). Many companies additionally draft a separate budgetary allocation for funding the operations of the human resource department. In the midst of their functionality, the HR departments are faced with profound challenges as their functions become wider and strategic in the modern era. It has become more than a critical function that entails staff hiring, offering training and staff retention. It is a fundamental factor in developing a workforce brought into line with a companys mission and vision for their core business. With added importance come increased impediments. Cultivating Teamwork Developing and promoting teamwork entails building a work culture that values group effort (Fay et al. 2014). In such an environment, individuals comprehend and understand that formulating plans, thinking and decision-making become better when executed together. Individuals understand, recognize and absorb the common understanding that no individual is better than the whole group. It is very hard to find employment stations that demonstrate teamwork. In the UK, institutions such as colleges and familial structures put more emphasis on the winning aspect, becoming the very best and conquering all to emerge the top. The culture of individualism is, therefore, an institutional issue, handed over from generation to generation, raising individualistic workers raised in environments that do not emphasize on collaboration (Fogel & Shephard 2002). Business organizations are putting in a lot of effort on valuing diverse individuals, ideas, experiences and historical backgrounds. Analysts argue that companies have a to put a lot of effort before teamwork and valuing teams become the norm (Trimpop & West, 2005). A teamwork culture can, however, be developed by doing a number of things in the right way. Developing teamwork within the workplace is no mean achievement and requires a lot of dedication and input from both the management and the staff members. Everybody can create a teamwork culture within the organization. Success of Teamwork When individuals reflect on their lives and what they have managed to attain in the life to become successful, most tend to appropriate much of that success on individualism. However, thinking critically about the individual success, much of it can be traced back to being influenced by a group or a group effort (Gill 2012). From joining kindergarten to college and working in a busy company, every aspect is hinged on cooperating with various departments and individuals. Teamwork Effectiveness in Business In the business world of the current era, being in a position to relate well with other individuals is increasingly becoming vital in being effective the responsibilities given to work. Numerous companies are employing the use of teams in creating efficiency within the organization. With proven positive results of teamwork as compared to individualism, companies are struggling to strike the right balance in getting things done within the organization. Teamwork has therefore become an important ingredient for business establishments throughout the world as it has enabled companies improve their productivity. Engaging in a group activity additionally develops camaraderie among team members (Al‐Rawi 2008). When individuals are grouped together in a team building exercise, they can benefit from each others strengths and assist one another in improving on the weaknesses. As a result, team members end up assisting one another improve, becoming stronger while transforming weaknesses into strengths. For any activity to succeed, meticulous preparation is required. Proper prior planning prevents failure on so many levels. Therefore, for any assembled team to perform on the highest level, those assembled to join the team need to understand their individual functions beforehand. Clear roles should be stipulated and explained to every team member to avoid clashing. Proper matching additionally ensures that every member is aware of his or her expectations of the team (Judeh 2011). In ensuring collective participation, training should be administered by the management to the staff members for proper understanding. Teamwork Leadership Teamwork is not demanded. It is developed through discussions, understanding, and closer cooperation between respective members of a team. There must be synergy within the team, a sense of responsibility for every individual. To harness these different energies into one, the team should have a leader who understands his or her team members (Denham 2006). Most team activities are executed through prior discussions and proper allocation of tasks according to ones strengths and weaknesses. A team leader cannot, therefore, demand action from the team members without consultation. In most cases, teams are responsible for setting their targets, making and executing decisions and dealing with problems when they arise. The work of a team leader is to ensure that what has been agreed upon is executed conclusively. Teams need to be led by individuals who are willing to assist team members whenever they are stuck. Therefore, team leaders need to be competent enough to understand tasks and the way they should be handled. As individuals who are expected to give direction, they share in the responsibilities while working alongside other team members (Walton 2006). Team Development Rome was not built in one day. Similarly, successful teams are not constructed overnight. The process of building a team requires the utmost attention and care directed towards development. It takes time to analyze the key components and how they can be assembled to operate in harmony. Therefore, it is important that individuals tasked with team formation go through all the team development stages to avoid setbacks and disappointments (Soska, Gutierrez & Santiago 2014). A solid foundation ensures the prolonged existence and stability of a team. Building, leading and participating in any team need an understanding of the steps of team development. Research conducted over the years shows that successful teams have particular elements of their formation paths in common. Various scholars have formulated different models that explain the steps in team development. Bruce Tuckman, the FSNP (Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing model), proposes the most prominent structure (Lewis 1998). Other elements considerably add on to a teams possibilities of being successful. Having a well-developed team orientation schedule is equally important. Additionally, the development of the teams contract and terms of operation is another important factor while setting up the team. These factors are essential as they assist in setting up lucid expectations and operational guidelines. When individuals comprehend fully what their task entails, and how well to tackle the task, they end up maximizing on their performance potential. Communicating Feedback to Team Members There is nothing more significant to an organization and a projects success than effectual and lucid communication between team members. Efficient communication offers numerous gains to the members involved in the communication and the overall organization. As described by Aristotle, "The whole is more than the total of its parts." Effective team communication develops knowledge and understanding that endorses expertise as members of the team finalize on their responsibilities (Walter & van der Vegt 2013). The rudiments of proper team communication assist a company to attain and maintain profits. Feedback is equally important in ensuring that team members are aware of the direction of their progress. By understanding the areas of improvement, individuals avoid repeated mistakes that many times delay and hamper the teams progress. Providing team members with feedback is crucial to attaining the overall objective. There are many individuals around willing and able to assist in providing with feedback and their views on this issue. Unluckily, this information is many times communicated in a method that erupts antipathy and hostility. There are usually plenty of people around who are ready and willing to give you their opinions on this. Unfortunately, this information is often conveyed in a manner that causes resentment and animosity. For comments to inspire growth and development, they need to be conveyed in a manner that will positively influence the individual receiving the news. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the utmost attention is directed towards the individual receiving the feedback (Walter & van der Vegt, 2013). Delivery is key in giving feedback. Feedback should motivate and not discourage performance. Participation and Articulating Vision Communicating the teams vision is paramount to constructing a highly performing team. It is the well-articulated vision that inspires and guides a team to achieve its goal. The best performing teams make certain that enough resources both financial and time are directed toward exploring and comprehending the companys principle and vision of the team (Hodson 2000). From the well-articulated vision of the team comes a set of well-defined goals and targets. These assist the team to stay purposeful and determined. The means for exploiting the teams vision successfully is developing the process of formulating the vision an interactive one. Having interactive sessions with team members in discussing the vision may see very brilliant ideas floated in the forum. A participative Forum ensures that different minds contribute towards developing a firm vision for the team. Allowing the team to participate in the formulation process gives the team a chance to develop something worth fighting. Allowing the individual members to participate in the team gives them a chance to see how their individual roles fit into the overall outcome. It also gives them an opportunity to help in the overall teams success. Conflict Management Anytime individuals come together to function as a team for anything additional than a short moment, some quarrels and disagreements are bound to happen and, therefore, should be anticipated. Analysts argue that this is perfectly normal for a perfectly functioning group of unconstrained individuals. Because of the inevitability of argument, being in a position to distinguish, tackles, and eventually resolve, it is critically essential, since unsettled quarrels may have unwanted aftermath, together with reduced spirits, or increased staff turnover (Barrow, 2012). Just as steam conflicts vary from one, team to another, so do the style for dealing with it. It is important to comprehend fully the different methods used to resolve conflict in addition to understanding when is the best time to apply to give the optimum result. Different teams call for different conflict resolution methods. There are different classifications of conflict. It may be classified as technical, sentimental or substantive dependent on the matter to which it touches on. A substantive conflict involves individual disagreements in relation to issues and ideas. Procedural disagreements and conflicts are related to responsibilities, procedures and business processes. These processes and procedures are related to achieving the teams targets. Disagreements that are procedural in nature are sometimes beneficial especially when team members decide to apply the most favourable course of action. This should happen while at the same time making certain that all viewpoints are taken into account before deciding on the final direction after the argument. Conflicts that are effective in nature incline towards the emotional side of the issue. Such arguments are highly emotional, and they normally relate to individual personalities. These arguments are highly heated debates and sometimes the communication styles used are non-official, therefore, making the resolving process to be difficult to achieve. Analysts consider affective arguments very dangerous for teams, as they tend to disintegrate them, based on arguments carried out along personal relationships (Curşeu 2011). In general, conflict is an unavoidable result of working with other individuals. Because of the differences in the way individuals perceive things, conflict is bound to erupt. Disagreements are however part of the grounds why teams can be so effectual in executing their mandate. As noted before, the more different individuals contribute to a particular element, it becomes refined, and the result becomes automatically better. Team leaders should understand the best methods of handling team outbursts. They should not allow team conflicts to get out of hand, as some arguments become catalysts for team disintegration (Curşeu 2011). If allowed to get out of hand, some conflicts damage individuals working relationships, forcing some to move jobs. It is, therefore, a responsibility of every team member to make certain and understand the fundamentals of managing conflict. Group Roles and Structures The variations between how individuals work and perceive the world make for an enticing discussion and vibrant teams. An effectual team takes advantage of these natural variations and makes the most out of their performance by placing the right individuals in the right functions. Numerous studies have been conducted on the different nature of the functions individuals handle within different teams (Bokeno 2008). Understanding the different functionalitys of individuals within a team can assist in understanding the behaviours and the functions that are constructive and the ones that are retrogressive. Psychological tools have also been incorporated in understanding the group roles, for instance, Belbins roles. Development of Team members Regardless of the role, an individual is assigned to the team, or what responsibilities he or she is supposed to undertake, there is constantly available opportunities for individual growth and development. When team members are operating at a high rate, there is an escalation in performance levels. Understanding and putting emphasis on individual development in team performance is vital for any team. Even though individual performance is seen to be neglected within the context of the whole team, it is of paramount importance to understand that no team can function without the individual input of team members (Runhaar et al. 2013). It is, therefore, necessary to develop and promote the expertise in the individuals that match with the teams requirement and purpose. Matching the teams needs with individual development necessitates the individual responsible for assembling the team to identify fully with the necessary training styles and methods and ways of taking recognizing the needs of the members of the team. Trust, Collaboration and Understanding Cohesiveness plays an important role in promoting understanding and collaboration between team members. Cohesion is a significant attribute because it is through that attribute that individuals get to trust and understand each other. Collaboration ensures that the main issues facing the team are addressed the moment they crop up. Team members trusting each other, collaborating and understanding each other move in the same direction, headed for the same destination, working towards achieving the core purpose (Gill 2012). When individuals within a team prioritize different goals, tensions and apprehension crop up. Divisions start cropping up, and arguments and conflicts follow suit. At that point, the whole ceases to become greater than the addition of the forming parts. This is an essential factor especially for highly performing teams. Harmony, evenness, and accord are important for successful teamwork. Conclusion A highly effective functioning team is much more than a group of individuals assembled to attain a target. Assembling a highly effective team requires a combination of good leadership skills, highly educated trainers and willing team players who throw their weight behind the vision of the team. It needs a team effort to assemble a highly functioning team. Since teams are such an innate segment of how individuals currently work, sometimes individuals believe it is easy to understand the factors that facilitate a good performance of teams. However, in many cases, people are unaware of the extra effort needed to assemble a winning team. Trust and communication are vital for teams to operate efficiently and achieve the target. A path for effective communication must be set up well in advance in addition to a team charter that lays out all the expectations and the visions of the team both individually and collectively. Trust is not built overnight just like an effective team, it takes time. Respecting each other within the team is a vital factor in building long lasting relationships. Breakdown of communication lines hinders cohesiveness, and the team is prone to becoming dysfunctional with time. Conflict is unavoidable in ensuring a team is successful. It should, therefore, be seen in a positive light and not in a negative perspective. A well-managed conflict can turn out to be the biggest asset to the team as it ensures different ideas are floated, therefore strengthening the outcome. A useful conflict resolution entails understanding how to differ over fundamental issues and formulating strong and diverse solutions to addressing the problem, therefore benefiting the entire team. The methods of exploiting the teams vision productively are making the process of designing the vision a participative one. Having interactive meetings with team members in addressing the vision may see very dazzling ideas raised in the meeting. A participative meeting makes certain that diverse minds have a say towards developing a strong vision for the team. Giving the team the chance to participate in the development process gives the team a chance to come up with something worth fighting. 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