Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a team to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in

the most effective and efficient way. This concept is seen within the greater framework of a team,
which is a group of interdependent individuals who work together towards a common goal.[3] Basic
requirements for effective teamwork are an adequate team size (about 6-8 members), available
resources for the team to make use of (i.e. meeting space and time, guidance from a supervisor,
support from the organization, etc.), and clearly defined roles within the team in order for everyone
to have a clear purpose.. [4][5][6][7] Teamwork is present in any context where a group of people
are working together to achieve a common goal.[1] These contexts include an industrial organization
(formal work teams), athletics (sports teams), a school (classmates working on a project), and the
healthcare system (operating room teams). In each of these settings, the level of teamwork and
interdependence can vary from low (e.g. golf, track and field), to intermediate (e.g. baseball,
football), to high (e.g. basketball, soccer), depending on the amount of communication, interaction,
and collaboration present between team members.

Even though collaborative work among individuals is very prominent today, that was not the case
over half a century ago. The shift from the typical assembly line to more contemporary
organizational models that contain increasing amounts of teamwork first came about during World
War I and World War II, in an effort for countries to unite their people. The movement towards
teamwork was mostly due to the Hawthorne studies, a set of studies conducted in the 1920s and
1930s that highlighted the positive aspects of teamwork in an organizational setting. After
organizations recognized the value of teamwork and the positive effects it had on their companies,
entire fields of work shifted from the typical assembly line to the contemporary High Performance
Organizational Model.

Drawbacks and Benefits[edit]

Utilizing teamwork is sometimes unnecessary and can lead to teams not reaching their performance
peak. Some of those disadvantages include: [17][18]

Social Loafing: This phenomenon appears when an individual working in a group places less effort
than they can towards a task. This can create an inequality between the amount of work other
individuals are placing within the team, therefore can create conflict and lead to lower levels of
performance.

Behavior Conflicts or Ingrained Individualism: Employees in higher organizational levels have

adapted to their positions at the top that require more individualism, and therefore have trouble
engaging in collaborative work. This creates a more competitive environment with a lack of
communication and higher levels of conflict. This disadvantage is mostly seen organizations that
utilize teamwork in an extremely hierarchical environment.

Individual Tasks: Certain tasks do not require teamwork, and are more appropriate for individual
work. By placing a team to complete an 'individual task', there can be high levels of conflict between
members which can damage the team's dynamic and weaken their overall performance.

Working in teams has also shown to be very beneficial. Some of these advantages include:[17][18]

Problem solving: A group of people can bring together various perspectives and combine views and
opinions to rapidly and effectively solve an issue. Due to the team's culture, each team member has
a responsibility to contribute equally and offer their unique perspective on a problem to arrive at the
best possible solution.[19] Overall, teamwork can lead to better decisions, products, or services. The
effectiveness of teamwork depends on the following six components of collaboration among team
members: communication, coordination, balance of member contributions, mutual support, effort,
and cohesion.[20]

Healthy competition: A healthy competition in groups can be used to motivate individuals and help
the team excel.

Developing relationships: A team that continues to work together will eventually develop an
increased level of bonding. This can help members avoid unnecessary conflicts since they have
become well acquainted with each other through teamwork.[19] By building strong relationships
between members, team members' satisfaction with their team increases, therefore improving both
teamwork and performance.[12]

Individual qualities: Every team member can offer their unique knowledge and ability to help
improve other team members. Through teamwork the sharing of these qualities will allow team
members to be more productive in the future.[10]

Motivation: Working collaboratively can lead to increased motivation levels within a team due to
increasing accountability for individual performance. When groups are being compared, members
tend to become more ambitious to perform better. Providing groups with a comparison standard
increases their performance level thus encouraging members to work collaboratively.

What is teamwork?

Teamwork is the art of collaborating with others effectively and is vital in most professions. It has to
do both with how different pieces of a larger puzzles come together, with different workers taking
on different puzzle pieces, and how you approach specific colleagues when you are working
together. Many people have different working styles and if you are great at teamwork you are able to
interpret and adapt to these, ensuring that you work well together.
Why is it important?

It is quite rare not to work alongside someone else, and if you have the teamwork skill down you will
be able to do so easily. If teamwork is something you struggle with, you could pose a threat to the
work process as your part of the work might not be as well done as others.
Teamwork also helps you with the social part of working: making work friends. By joining with
others, you are socialising and opening yourself up which could lead to a valuable network of
contacts as well as friendships with people you simply enjoy spending time with.
How do I pick up this soft skill?

School should definitely have prepared you for this, normally through team projects or
presentations you have to perform with fellow students. How did you work together towards this
common goal? Were there any issues? Do you believe you could have acted differently in order to get
a better result?
Defining teamwork as a soft skill
Teamwork is the cooperation between individuals working on a task or tasks. The
STAR model is an excellent model used to describe and discuss teamwork.

What is the “STAR Teams Theory”?

You may have heard of STAR. It is a simple but effective method of promoting good
teamwork.

 Strengths: A team works best when each member’s strength(s) is understood

and cultivated
 Teamwork: That team members have a positive attitude encouraged by their line
managers and each other
 Alignment: Where the desires of the team are in line with that of the business,
and aligned with working towards successful outcomes
 Results: Teams understand the importance of co-operation for the sake of
results

How team synergy is vital for your business

A whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is certainly the case when it comes
to teamwork. Individuals who pull together achieve more than they would have done
working independently. When the skills of one team member complement those of the
others, everybody benefits and teamwork pays off. As people learn how to work
together as a team, they tap into their own areas of expertise. This allows for a dynamic,
multidisciplinary approach that encourages the team to pull together for overall success.

It is vital that employees understand this, directed by their team leaders. This guidance
from above is vital for teamwork.

How to promote good team membership

Teamwork is about working in an atmosphere of mutual respect. A team is a place
where team members feel free to voice their opinions and support each other.
Teams work best when every member is pulling his or her own weight and pulling in the
same direction. They cannot always achieve this on their own. Without direction from the
business, without encouragement, a team quickly becomes a collection of parts. The
team is only as good as the leadership that encourages it. That is why a great team
leader is required.
Team leaders adapt as the project progresses. Use the STAR team model method.
It recognizes the team leader’s role in aligning individual’s strengths within the
team for meaningful results.

How to become a good team leader

A good team leader should offer a range of responses with authority. They should
always strive to steer the team towards a place where individual success is rather
irrelevant because the success of the whole is paramount. When you delegate
responsibilities for the greater good, your employees will understand how vital it is to
your business. The team leader establishes boundaries and links between teams and
ensures that the processes in place support effective teamwork.

They must be willing to allow each member to complement the whole with creative
ideas. The result is successful completion of projects that benefit the company without
much direct management.

In its essence, teamwork is about listening to others (communication) and respecting the way they
work as opposed to the way you do. By doing this as well as taking responsibility for your part of the
work, you are working as part of the team.

Teamwork is an essential part of workplace success. Like a basketball team working together to set
up the perfect shot, every team member has a specific role to play in accomplishing tasks on the job.
Although it may seem as if one player scored the basket, that basket was made possible by many
people’s planning, coordination, and cooperation to get that player the ball. Employers look for
people who not only know how to work well with others, but who understand that not every player
on the team can or will be the one who gets the ball. When everyone in the workplace works
together to accomplish goals, everyone achieves more. The ability to work as part of a team is one of
the most important skills in today’s job market. Employers are looking for workers who can
contribute their own ideas, but also want people who can work with others to create and develop
projects and plans. Teamwork involves building relationships and working with other people using a
number of important skills and habits: • Working cooperatively • Contributing to groups with ideas,
suggestions, and effort • Communication (both giving and receiving) • Sense of responsibility •
Healthy respect for different opinions, customs, and individual preferences • Ability to participate in
group decision-making When employees work together to accomplish a goal, everyone benefits.
Employers might expect to “see” this in action in different ways. For example, team members in the
workplace plan ahead and work cooperatively to assign tasks, assess progress, and deliver on time.
They have professional discussions during which differing approaches and opinions might be shared
and assessed in a respectful manner. Even when certain employees end up with tasks that were not
their first choices, jobs get done with limited complaints because it is in the spirit of teamwork and
with the overall goal in mind. A leader or manager may often serve as the teamwork facilitator. In
this case, team members participate respectfully in discussion, carry out assigned tasks, and defer to
the leader in the best interest of the goal. Consensus is wonderful, but not always possible, and an
assigned leader will often support and facilitate the decision-making necessary for quality teamwork
to exist. The activities in this section seek to teach participants about the importance of teamwork to
workplace success and the specific role each individual on a team may play. Participants will learn
about positive teamwork behaviour and discover how their own conduct can impact others on a
team. The section also discusses possible obstacles to teams working successfully and offers the
opportunity to build constructive strategies for overcoming these challenges.

Features of team

There is No “I” in Team

I’ll Give You Some of Mine if You Give Me Some of Yours.( JUST THE FACTS: Part of becoming a
functional member of a team is learning to understand what you bring to the group and what you
might need from others.)
Teamwork Quotes

“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a
society work, a civilization work.” - Vince Lombardi (football coach)

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” - Henry
Ford (pioneer of the assembly-line production method)

“There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.” -
George Shinn (former owner of Charlotte, now New Orleans, Hornets basketball team)

“It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit.” - Robert
Yates (politician in the 1700s)

“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” - Author Unknown

“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team,
not the individual, is the ultimate champion.” - Mia Hamm (retired American soccer player)

“Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their
friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and
help one another achieve it.” - Bill Bradley (American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar
and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey)

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” - Michael Jordan (former
American basketball player, businessman and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats)

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller (American author, political
activist, lecturer, and the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.)

“The strength of the team is each individual member...the strength of each member is the team.” -
Phil Jackson (widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the NBA)

“Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” -
Mattie Stepanek (advocate on behalf of peace, people with disabilities, and children with life-
threatening conditions who died one month before his 14th birthday)

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the
bus with you when the limo breaks down.” - Oprah Winfrey (American television host, actress,
producer, and philanthropist)

“Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story.” - Casey Stengel
(baseball hall of famer)
Elements of Teamwork – An Inventory of Skills Part of being a good team member is learning how to
understand your personal strengths (what you have to offer) AND where you might need to draw
assistance from others. Listed on this sheet are 10 of the characteristics that make a productive
team member. Rate your level of confidence in each skill (HONESTLY) – and then devise a plan for
how you can improve some of the areas you think might need a “jump start.”

SKILL #1: RELIABLE

This means: You can be counted on to get the job done.

SKILL #2: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR

This means: You express your thoughts and ideas clearly and directly, with respect for others.

ident SKILL #3: ACTIVE LISTENER

This means: You listen to and respect different points of view. Others can offer you constructive
feedback – and you don’t get upset or defensive.

SKILL #4: PARTICIPATES

This means: You are prepared – and get involved in team activities. You are regular contributor.

SKILL #5: SHARES OPENLY AND WILLINGLY

This means: You are willing to share information, experience, and knowledge with the group.

SKILL #6: COOPERATIVE

This means: You work with other members of the team to accomplish the job - no matter what.

SKILL #7: FLEXIBLE

This means: You adapt easily when the team changes direction or you’re asked to try something
new.

SKILL #8: COMMITTED

This means: You are responsible and dedicated. You always give your best effort!

SKILL #9: PROBLEM SOLVER

This means: You focus on solutions. You are good about not going out of your way to find fault in
others.

SKILL #10: RESPECTFUL

This means: You treat other team members with courtesy and consideration - all of the time.

Eg: Think about a sports team (football, basketball, soccer, hockey, etc.). What might happen if one
basketball player hogged the ball all of the time? What might happen if the quarterback tried to run
the ball all of the time instead of passing? So, it takes all different types of players to make an
efficient and winning team, right
Contribute

Teamwork requires each member of the team to contribute. A member can contribute in several
ways. For example with strategy suggestions, ideas and effort. Of these contributing effort is very
important, teams where effort is shared work better.
Cooperate
Teamwork requires cooperation. There will usually be several persons contributing and they will
need to have good coordination. As a team member you should be open to working together with
other members of the team.
Communicate
Teamwork requires good communication skills. Your team members will appreciate your inputs
best when you communicate them well. So put forward your thoughts clearly and in an easy to
understand way. If you feel you are not able to communicate well you should work on your
communication skills.
Assign roles & responsibilities
Teams usually bring together diverse talents. Therefore assigning a proper role to leverage each
talent is important. There may also be hierarchy among the roles such as team leaders and
group leaders. For the success of teams clarity of roles and responsibilities is very important. If
you are assigned a role you should know it well and understand your responsibilities. You should
communicate openly with team members while following the established culture for respecting
hierarchies. You should also be ready to assign roles and plan hierarchies yourself. For this you
will need to have good delegation skills and communications skills.
Be respectful
When you work in teams you will find a variety of approaches, ideas, customs, opinions and
preferences. The diversity of opinions is a key strength of a team. A key aspect of being
respectful is listening attentively. You should give due consideration to the opinions of others.
You should comment on the opinions respectfully. This will enable you to participate in group
decision making.

Be open & share your thoughts

An open and free exchange of ideas makes sure a team evaluates a wide range of options. Do
not worry too much about how your ideas will be received. Speak your mind if you have
something to say. If there is criticism of your ideas don't take it personally. You can either defend
your idea or if the criticism is valid, learn from it. Good teams will encourage openness and
benefit from it.
Accept team decisions

Not everything that the team decides will be aligned with what you had wanted. A broad
consensus is often not possible. One option is to be flexible, avoid conflict and let two different
outlooks co-exist. It is important that once a plan has been made, everyone works to make it
succeed.
Be reliable
Teamwork depends a lot on each person fulfilling their assigned tasks. Team members who can
be relied on, are valued highly. Being able to work in a team will give a person a lot of strength. A
person's self belief will go up. Specially when the person realizes that others depend on the
person and the trust is vindicated. A person's vision broadens with the realization that diverse
talents can work together towards a common goal.
The importance of teamwork is undeniable. Ask the group to come up with a list of the benefits of
teamwork and to illustrate or give examples of each. If the group has trouble coming up with a list,
use the following as conversation starters:

• Support - Teamwork leads to camaraderie between team members. This will not only lead to
better social relationships, but can also act as a support when things go wrong.

• Varied skills – Different team members bring with them different skills.

• Distribution of work - Distributing work not only reduces each individual’s burden, but also
increases responsibility and ensures better commitment to completing the task individually and as a
whole.

•- Different people have different skills and possess different perspectives. Therefore any activity
that involves teamwork benefits from the various creative thoughts and inspirations of different
people.

• Accomplish faster – People working together will tend to complete a project faster than if one
person was working alone