How to develop good teamwork
There are very many factors involved in the development of a good team. However, here we shall concentrate on three in particular, namely: communication, team balance and leadership.
Communication is clearly an important part of interpersonal interaction and, of course, teamwork is all about interpersonal interaction. Open communication is a fundamental part of good teamwork in so far as it allows team members to understand each other's point of view, to share ideas, to express feelings and to articulate plans. Poor communication can be a major barrier to effective teamwork. Wrestling with the complexities of communication is therefore part of the challenge of developing an effective team.
The balance of a team involves having people whose experience, skills, perspectives, interests and contributions complement one another, rather than duplicate or counteract each other. For example, it is no good having a team full of creative people who have lots of new ideas, but do not have the people who have the stamina and stickability to see those ideas through to completion. Similarly, a team that is full of people who are steady, strong workers but have little spark or creativity, will also be impoverished by comparison with a balanced team. If it is not to become stale and sterile, a team needs people who are prepared to risk conflict by challenging existing norms and assumptions, but, by the same token, a team also needs its peacemakers. Differences between team members can, in themselves, lead to conflict but the diversity of the team and the balance that this can achieve, will generally more than make up for any such conflicts.
Leadership refers to the ability to create and sustain a positive working culture to motivate or even inspire staff to play their part in creating a work environment in which there are high standards of practice, a high level of commitment and a positive approach. A key part of leadership is 'vision'. This refers to the ability to keep a clear focus on what the team is trying to achieve, what its objectives are in terms of its overall strategy and aims. It is very easy for a team of people who are under pressure from various directions to lose their focus on what the team is all about and what purpose it is intended to fulfil. A good leader is somebody who not only keeps a clear focus him- or herself on the team's purpose and direction, but also ensures that that vision is shared by the team members and that they are not allowed to drift too far away from it. A good leader is somebody who promotes high morale by playing a key role in creating an atmosphere in which staff feel valued and supported. This helps to prevent such problems as gossip, rumour-mongering and backbiting, which can be so detrimental to a team's functioning.
Effective teamwork therefore depends on a good leader, the right balance of the right people and the channels of communication remaining open between them. If these three core ingredients can be brought together, then there is every chance of a very effective team developing.
Dr Neil Thompson
Learning resources to help you manage conflict issues and other situations that can arise when dealing with people
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Effective Teamwork: How to Develop a Successful Team E-book
It is generally taken for granted that teams can achieve more together than individuals can alone, and that is for the most part true. There is certainly much to be gained from effective collaboration, and I will give examples of this below. People working together can bring the best out of each other and produce very impressive results while also creating a very positive and rewarding working environment. Effective teamwork is therefore clearly an important goal to pursue, and this is precisely what this e-book is all about: exploring why teams are important, what can be done to promote effective teamwork and identifying some of the (many) pitfalls that need to be avoided if we are going to establish genuinely effective teams. The world of work tends to be a highly pressurised one these days, with all sorts of potential or actual problems, all sorts of barriers to overcome if we are to fulfil our potential and make the best of the opportunities working life offers us. Teamwork is a key part of getting this right. This e-book has therefore been written to help develop a foundation of understanding that will help you to build and sustain effective teams. Of course, it will not provide you with everything you need, but it should none the less offer a great start in taking things forward in an informed way. It is understandable that many people will assume that this is an e-book specifically for team managers. Of course, team managers (or people with an equivalent title – team leader, for example) will have much to gain from what is offered here, as will any manager with responsibility for groups of staff. However, given that teamwork is primarily about people collaborating with one another, then all members of teams should be able to recognise that they have a responsibility to play their part too in developing and sustaining an effective team. It should therefore not be forgotten that there is much to be learned here for any team member and not just the person who is specifically paid to lead the team. |
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Communication and language are crucial parts of our everyday working lives. In this important textbook, Neil Thompson explores the complexities of the theory base and presents them in a clear and easily understandable form. Originally published as Communication and Language, it has now been renamed as Effective Communication to emphasise the point that our task is not just to communicate, but to do so as effectively as possible. Building on the strengths of the earlier edition, the theoretical underpinnings have been updated and extended. In addition, three new chapters have been added to help draw out more of the practical implications of a sound knowledge of communication. |
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People Skills provides an excellent foundation for learning about self-management skills, interpersonal skills and the problem-solving skills required by a wide variety of managers and professionals. |
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People Problems deals with the factors that contribute to a range of problems including conflict in the workplace and is an ideal companion volume to People Skills. |
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DVD Resources
This DVD has been prepared to help a wide variety of people to develop their understanding of conflict and therefore be better equipped to deal with the challenges that conflict presents. It is a 30-minute presentation that is divided into three parts. Part One discusses the prevalence and impact of conflict, making the point that conflict is far more common than people generally realise and also potentially very problematic in a variety of ways. Part Two examines four different levels of conflict and explains why it is important to distinguish between them. The final part introduces ‘The RED Approach’ as a basis for managing conflict. This DVD offers a sound foundation for more confident and effective approaches to conflict situations. |
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Handling Aggression (Avenue Media Solutions)
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Tackling Bullying and Harassment (Avenue Media Solutions)
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Developing Teamwork (Avenue Media Solutions)
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