Looking Deeper Into Teamwork
We have often heard about it but not all of us have a full understanding of what teamwork really is. In the organization where we belong we may be working as part of a team but do we really know what makes our team work? Teamwork exists when a culture that gives value to collaboration exists within the organization. Without a collaborative nature, it is almost impossible to build teams. In an environment wherein teamwork exists, people understand and believe that specific actions like thinking, planning and decision making are better because they are done in a cooperative manner. In this kind of collaborative environment, people believe that none of them is as good as all of them.
However popular, it is still difficult to identify organizations that exemplify the true spirit of teamwork. It is more common to see organizations or institutions that foster a competitive environment rather than a collaborative one. Many of us have grown so accustomed to an environment wherein everyone must prove that he or she is the best.
Nevertheless, there are still organizations that continue to work on giving value to diversified ideas, people, experiences, and backgrounds. We seem to be far from a world where valuing teamwork is the norm but it does not mean that having this kind of environment is impossible. We can foster a culture that values teamwork as easily as one that focuses on competition if only we are able to do certain things right. Add commitment to and appreciation of teamwork into the equation and will be able to realize an overall sense of collaboration in our organization.
There are certain precursors to teamwork. These include having executive leaders that are able to clearly communicate their expectations of teamwork and collaboration. It is also important that executive leaders should become models of teamwork as they interact with each other, as well as with the rest of the organization. Members of the organization must also be able to talk about the value of a teamwork culture, and they must be able to identify this value as well.
Over the years, it has been found that teamwork can best exist in an organization that rewards and recognizes collaborative nature and collaborative efforts. In a collaborative environment, even the most excellent producers would be value less than those people who are able to accomplish the same achievements while working with others in the spirit of teamwork.
