Sandwich Area Chamber of Commerce – Leads Groups
Have you ever been forced to work with a group of people in your workplace? I say “forced”, because many people find it difficult to leave their desk to work with others on a project. Working with others is not easy for most individuals. As a matter of fact, Business News Daily delved into, “Why employees hate teamwork”. In an article written by senior writer, Chad Brooks, we see that, “A study by the University of Phoenix revealed that that while 95 percent of those who have ever worked on a team believe teamwork serves a critical function in the workplace, more than three-quarters of employees would rather work on their own.”. Unfortunately, is not easy getting individuals with different perspectives, ideas and goals to collaborate towards the same goal. Negative team dynamics and self centered attitudes impede cohesiveness and progress, leaving a bad taste in many team-member’s mouths.
Business News Daily: Photo credit, Shutterstock
How do we overcome this misconception and begin to get more people to “own the power of synergy”? First, we have to understand that “Synergy is a difficult word to understand, and even more challenging to implement.” (Moran, Abramson, Moran, 2014). The change takes place in the act of experiencing the results that come from synergistic effectiveness. It doesn’t happen over night and requires full participation by all involved. It involves learning from others and adapting to their style of contribution without holding any bias. Effort does not mean team members comprise because with synergy you do not give something up, instead, you contribute to a common goal. Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”.
Global Stepping Stone: Fundamentals in creating synergy at the workplace.
Once effective teams are created and a clear outline of roles and duties are provided, the team is ready to synergize! Including ice-breakers that show similarities among groups when teams are formed, help to make participants more comfortable. Following the ice-breaker, the leader should outline (in detail) what the project vision and goal is. Understanding the vision will allow team players to identify ways to contribute in the areas they govern. Next, leadership should outline the steps required to get to the desired goal. Allow the participants to make suggestions on the process. Their input is valuable and can provide them with a sense of inclusiveness. Lastly, once all of the tools are laid out, the team should be encouraged to provide solutions as they work together, to complete the common goal. Once the project is complete, highlight areas of success and don’t forget to, “Own the power of synergy”!
References:
Brooks, C. Business Daily Magazine. (2013). Grow Your Business, Your Team. Why Employees Hate Teamwork. Retrieved from: http://www.steppingstoneglobal.com/fundamentals-in-creating-synergy-at-workplace/
Cultural Synergy. (n.d.) Leadership in a Global Context–OLEAD 410. Online course lesson, Penn State World Campus, The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1916378/modules/items/23640546
Moran, Robert, Abramson, Neil, & Moran, Sarah. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. Oxford: Routledge.
SSG_Admin,. Global Stepping Stone. (2014). Synergy. Fundamentals of Creating Synergy In The Work Place. Retrieved from: http://www.steppingstoneglobal.com/fundamentals-in-creating-synergy-at-workplace/
Great content on this post!
I have found that the topic of synergy and its impact on teamwork and results has been one of the most important and interesting in this course. When I read your statistics around “why employees hate teamwork” and the study completed by the University of Phoenix, I have to believe that these results are tied to the fact that the United States culture is highly individualistic and scores in Hofstede’s 6 dimensions of culture reflect this. The self-centered attitudes seen in some employees would seem to be attributed to an individualistic way of thinking.
This week we learned that Mexico is on the low end of individualism and most individuals in Mexican culture prefer to work in groups with the thought that it will benefit everyone. (Pennsylvania State University, 2018). While we cannot change our cultural tendencies, I believe that this is an example of why it is so important that leaders take the time to become aware of cultural differences before attempting to lead a team and deliver results.
References
Pennsylvania State University (2018). Leadership in a Global Context: OLEAD 410. Lesson 9: Central America and Mexico, Penn State World Campus, The Pennsylvania State University.