How to improve teamwork and succeed in getting a project ahead

Teamwork is the word that reminds us of the old maxim, “there is strength in unity”. Alone we cannot make a project succeed; we need the help of our colleagues.

Teamwork is about a community of people carrying out an activity in a coordinated way. Working in a group does not guarantee that the results will always be positive, but it helps to increase opportunities.

To reach a successful outcome, the members must collaborate altruistically towards their shared goal. As the Japanese common saying goes, “A single arrow is easily broken, but not a bundle of ten arrows”.

What does a team need to perform?

The team members need to put into practice the 5 C’s rule: complementarity, coordination, communication, commitment and confidence.

A well-constituted team moves in the same direction, supports each other in difficult moments, and follows the leader so that together they can achieve their goal.

If you aim to be a good leader that all members look up to and want to follow, implement these good practices.

On the other hand, did you know that teamwork is one of the most valued competencies in a job interview?

Recruiters are looking for people who can work collaboratively. It is essential to know how to get along with others and accept that there are different ways of appreciating the same reality.

We wonder whether robots will replace our work. If we do our job well, human beings are irreplaceable.

We are social by nature and need to live in a community. This very basic and natural instinct has allowed our ancestors, since the Palaeolithic era, to move in tribes hunting for food. Working in a group has always helped us to progress.

Six benefits of teamwork

It enhances creativity and enables mutual learning

In a team, individual skills are brought together to provide greater value. This is how synergy arises. With the sum of ideas and a greater diversity of points of view, better solutions can be found.

As the American writer and management expert Ken Blanchard said, “None of us is as smart as all of us put together”.

Being confronted with different perceptions enhances creativity and makes us all learn from each other. It is impossible to know everything; each person has acquired certain knowledge throughout his or her personal and professional life, which, when shared, adds value to the whole.

Strong sides complement each other, and weaknesses dissipate

We all have strengths, and working together allows everyone to bring out their talents.

Is an orchestra an oboe or trumpet soloist? Of course not; for an orchestra to sound like an orchestra, you need several musicians playing wind instruments, percussion instruments, strings and a conductor to lead them.

The conductor alone does not get the applause of the ensemble. Therefore, working in a group is not a hierarchical task, but everyone is equally important in the performance of his or her duties.

Weaknesses dissipate as soon as the project is implemented because a motivated team only reveals its strengths and transforms the mistakes made by one to the benefit of the whole.

Increases flexibility

Working in a team makes us more flexible because there are no ranks.

Moreover, accepting and respecting the opinion of others allows us to have an open mind that helps us be more constructive.

Being flexible does not mean resigning ourselves but accepting that there are other points of view and do not have the absolute truth.

Increases productivity

As each worker focuses on the area he or she is most proficient in; performance is more efficient, faster and more productive. In addition, the result obtained is of higher quality. It has been proven that a multidisciplinary group performs tasks better than a single person does.

Builds commitment

When we are part of a team, we acquire a commitment with ourselves, the other members, and the company.

Values are supported

Values are virtues or qualities that characterise a person or an action that are generally positive and important in a social group.

It is values that determine a person’s thoughts and actions. In general, we are grouped by values in order to achieve collective well-being.

Among the universal values that work in a group promotes are the following:

• Friendship,
• Kindness,
• Equality,
• Respect,
• Responsibility,
• Solidarity,
• Courage,
• Truth.

In the same way, being happy as colleagues for others, admiring them for their know-how allows us to feel better about ourselves.

We suggest you take a look at how your team currently works. Do you think it puts the 5 C’s into practice? Can you contribute any additional benefits?

Source: https://www.trianglerrhh.es/trabajo-en-equipo-beneficios/