Managing Teamwork

The idea of teamwork slowly made its way into the working culture and now permeates every facet of industry. The fundamental problem with this concept is that most base their understanding of teamwork on faulty logic that says we are all equal and everyone has his or her fair say and vote. This method of operation, especially in business, is doomed to fail. Teamwork fails for want of good leadership. Like any good sports team, there are individuals with special skills and talents all contributing in their own way. There are even assistant coaches who aid with specialized knowledge. There is however one leader, the head coach, and the success of the team depend on his ability to lead and inspire them to victory.

Now many want to lead but few are able. Clearly, the success or failure of the team directly reflects the strength or weakness of said leader. A team that falls apart suggests that the leader is unsure and possibly in over their head. Many promotions are not always based strictly on a history of results and performance but other factors such as likeability, attractiveness or how many hours one puts in on the job. These are horrible criteria for choosing a leader. This type of leader would inevitably lead their team down the dismal path toward failure and chaos.

Therefore, a good leader is defined by his or her ability to:

Make decisions and live with the consequences.

Identify the strengths of his "team" and utilize them to the best of their abilities

Raise the bar of expectation so that each team member has room to stretch and encourage them to do so

Go to bat for those who are working hard and give the slackers a good kick to the proverbial butt to get them motivated

Have forethought to recognize liabilities early and eliminate them

Have integrity and be just

Be a big picture thinker proactively approaching problems

These attributes when implemented by a good manager would trickle down to those working with him or her. Thus, instead of the group imploding they would achieve success and grow from the process.

There are also several tangible steps managers can take to ensure success for the team and achievement of goals.

First, the goals must be clearly defined, prioritized and given a timeline.

Second, the project must be broken up and assigned to the team based on his or her strengths and skill set.

Third, communication is key to a successful end. This can be accomplished through weekly meetings where progress is discussed and any reassignments or reprioritization would take place. To do list can be discussed and items checked off as they are completed. There must also be praise, encouragement and acknowledgement in order to motivate the team to continue to work hard and achieve success.

Finally, when one member is overwhelmed, it is both the responsibility of the manager as well as each team member to pull together and assist that individual. The success of a team is only as good as the success of each individual.