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Working as a Team
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Ponce de Leon View Drop Down
Caliph
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Lonce De Peon

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Posts: 2967 		  Quote Ponce de Leon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Working as a Team
    Posted: 06-Sep-2006 at 13:50
    Through out my buisness classes one thing has always been brought up over and over again...TEAMWORK. It always reminds me of sports and other activities in high school but this actually seems really key into succeding in the buisness world. I always liked to imagine myself as being a CEO of Johnson & Johnson in four years after graduation but looking at all these other important factors have made me jump back to reality.

I would like to know how you would define teamwork, and how it should be applied. Also in what you should avoid or dont do in order to become successful
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Omar al Hashim View Drop Down
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Posts: 5697 		  Quote Omar al Hashim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Sep-2006 at 19:24
One of the most important things is a boss. Humans generally pick one anyway, but occasionally you get a team when two people think they should be boss - and then your team goes moot.
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Jay. View Drop Down
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Posts: 1207 		  Quote Jay. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Sep-2006 at 19:35
In my opinion, working in a group is not only getting along with your peers or partners. You have to step up and be a leader. Being a leader will get you ahead and will set an example. Second, you can't be the outsider. You have to speak up and share your ideas (but I am sure Ponce won't have a problem with thisBig smile). This is what I follow whenever my teachers make groups in my high school - especially Business class. (I'm taking intro to business in grade 10).
Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava
Only Unity Can Save the Serb
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Northman View Drop Down
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Posts: 4262 		  Quote Northman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Sep-2006 at 14:13
Originally posted by Ponce de Leon

    Through out my buisness classes one thing has always been brought up over and over again...TEAMWORK. It always reminds me of sports and other activities in high school but this actually seems really key into succeding in the buisness world. I always liked to imagine myself as being a CEO of Johnson & Johnson in four years after graduation but looking at all these other important factors have made me jump back to reality.

I would like to know how you would define teamwork, and how it should be applied. Also in what you should avoid or dont do in order to become successful
 
A very good question Ponce - but also a big one.
 
As Omar says, most people prefers a boss, mostly because that way, they are freeing themselves of responsibility. 
You will hear things like..."We better ask the Boss, he thinks he knows everything anyways, and I dont want to get blamed for anything".
 
Jay wants to be a boss - nothing wrong with that, but that has very little to do with teamwork.
 
After quite a few years of experience with teams and also being a boss, I'll line up a few of the things I find most important as a member of a team, and as a boss for teams.
 
First of all - if people arent used to work that way, teamwork will take years to implement in any organisation. Teamwork is not the same as working in a group of people.
 
The Boss...
A boss is necessary - but not as part of the team.
The boss must help the team setting directions, goals and sub-goals in acoordance with company politics and visions. He must coach and inspire his teams, and help them to stay on the preset course if needed.
This will normally but not exclusively happen through a coordinator, elected within, by and amongst the team members - not appointed by the boss.
Other than the above - the boss should keep out, and let the team do the  job.
 
The Coordinator...
He has a very important role in the team. He must be able to inspire, encourage, be impartial, define processes, keep focus etc. etc.  He is the link between the management and the team - reporting decisions and acheivements in either direction. Some team-member will think of him as a boss, but if this happens generally, the team doesnt work.
When the directions and goals are clear and understood by all teammembers, the team will decide who does what - self-delegating you could call it.
 
The Team-members...
Attitude is the keyword.
Normally, people lean back, waiting for a boss to tell them what to do. This wont work in a team.
Refrasing a famous sentence from JFK, you could say: "Dont ask what your team can do for you - ask what you can do for your team"
Without each member feeling parenthood and taking responsibility for the whole team, its goals and the decisions made by the team, it is bound to fail. 
 
Being part of a well working team can be very rewarding, whereas being part of a team without engagement and clearly defined goals, floating around like a ship bound for nowhere, is very devastating for all members and a chain around the neck for any progress.
 
 
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Knight
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Posts: 59 		  Quote Dear Sir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-Sep-2006 at 11:50
I  believe in working alone Ponce De Leon :).Shalom:).
AHAM BRAHMASMI
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Dear Sir View Drop Down
Knight
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Posts: 59 		  Quote Dear Sir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-Sep-2006 at 11:51
I  believe in working alone Ponce De Leon :).Shalom:).
AHAM BRAHMASMI
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gcle2003 View Drop Down
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Posts: 7035 		  Quote gcle2003 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Sep-2006 at 13:53
Originally posted by Northman

Teamwork is not the same as working in a group of people.
 
That's true. What usually gets forgotten by people who go on about the value of teamwork is that each member of a team should have his own well-defined job. And they shouldn't get in each other's way.
 
Having a 'team' doesn't mean everybody gets to be involved in everything, any more than in a successful soccer team a striker gets to tell the left-back how he should play.
 
Moreover too many people who go on about "we need to have some teamwork here" usually mean "everybody should listen to me." Which is equally usually not such a good idea.
 
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Cywr View Drop Down
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Posts: 6003 		  Quote Cywr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Sep-2006 at 04:47
'Team player' is one of the most over used terms in the workplace these days.
Arrrgh!!"
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Jay. View Drop Down
Chieftain
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Posts: 1207 		  Quote Jay. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Sep-2006 at 18:38

Overall, I think teamwork is working with people who have a common vision.

Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava
Only Unity Can Save the Serb
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gcle2003 View Drop Down
King
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Posts: 7035 		  Quote gcle2003 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-Sep-2006 at 05:51
Originally posted by Jay.

Overall, I think teamwork is working with people who have a common vision.

 
That's part of it, but you could have a group of people working to a common goal and not forming a team.
 
Essential to the concept of 'team' is the idea of specific roles for each 'player'.
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gcle2003 View Drop Down
King
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Posts: 7035 		  Quote gcle2003 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-Sep-2006 at 05:51
Originally posted by Jay.

Overall, I think teamwork is working with people who have a common vision.

 
That's part of it, but you could have a group of people working to a common goal and not forming a team.
 
Essential to the concept of 'team' is the idea of specific roles for each 'player', as well as a common goal.
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