We usually work in teams in almost everything we do and in all aspects of our lives steaming from childhood. We formed teams as children and always had a leader or someone in charge and we were usually happy and followed the leader’s instructions whether we agreed or not. Why should it be any different as adults especially when we are being paid for it? In the workplace people work better and love what they do when they work together and not individually to accomplish collective tasks and missions. As the saying goes “there is no I in team”. Team work to me is the center of any given organizational goal. Good leaders understand this concept and implement it according to their teams’ strengths and weaknesses in different ways. Would you agree?
This video I believe explains what teamwork is.
Effective leadership in teams assumes behavioral flexibility, problem-solving skills applicable to teams, and using discretion when determining if leader intervention is necessary (Team Leadership, 2013). Leadership decisions affect team effectiveness directly and through internal and external actions that leaders can decide to take or not take.
Effective team leadership focuses on both task and relational issues/problems as a high level of task productivity, combined with superior intrateam relationships, leads to best team performance and development. “If the team is well maintained and has good relationships, then the members will be able to work together effectively and get their job done” (Northouse, 2013, p. 294).
As a “team leader you must learn to be open and objective in understanding and diagnosing team problems and skillful in selecting the most appropriate actions or inactions to help achieve the team’s goals” ( Northouse, 2013, p. 298). An effective leader takes charge of his or team to make them successful and to meet team goals. I have always believe this and applied it to my leadership as well.
Reference:
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
I think the concept of what it is to be a team works when the team has team goals. It is possible to be part of a team, but have individual goals. True, those individual goals added up equal the team goal, but what do you do when a certain individual(s) only cares about hitting their personal goal and doesn’t care about the team? This is something I struggle with to this very day. You see, in my line of work, the team goal does nothing for these individuals that only care about their own personal goal. I can give them “rah rah” speeches until I’m blue in the face. I can give them the “why” behind team goals and development and so on. But these individuals know better. They know that if they hit their goals, then they will get paid and the people that don’t hit their goals will not. Those “other” people don’t affect them and therefore they do not care. Now, for people looking to move up in the company, their approach is a little different. They understand the team concept and try to rally others around it. However, even though we have those bright spots in the team, a team is only as good as its weakest link. What can you do to get them on board with team concepts when cutting them loose is not an option?