The Benefits of Teamwork in the Workplace

The Benefits of Teamwork in the Workplace

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Find inspiration for building teams from the world of sports

A discussion about building teams naturally leads to a sports analogy — in this case, we’ll use baseball. On a baseball team, every player is working toward the same goal: winning the game. But every player brings different talents and abilities to help the team achieve that goal. The pitcher and all the position players have to excel in their 

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Find inspiration for building teams from the world of sports

roles. (The manager and coaches, too!) That’s a given. The trick is that they have to do it together, in harmony. By combining their strengths, they do something critical to team success: They cover the skill gaps on their bench. For example, pitchers are generally not expected to be good hitters. However, these players certainly appreciate 

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Find inspiration for building teams from the world of sports

and encourage production from their teammates who are paid to swing the bat and drive in runs. And of course, pitchers help teammates who are covering bases or in the outfield by keeping an eye on baserunners and trying to prevent opposing players from hitting the ball well.

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Drive higher performance through teamwork in the workplace

As the old saying goes, “There is no ‘I’ in team.” But that’s only half the story. Effective managers in the office, just like effective baseball managers, know the importance of keeping the team in harmony and putting people in positions where they can succeed. By getting a good handle on the strengths and weaknesses of each employee, managers can 

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Drive higher performance through teamwork in the workplace

assign responsibilities more strategically. Then different duties are performed by people who excel at those types of tasks — illustrating and emphasizing the value of collaboration, mutual support and team cohesion. There may not be an “I” in team, but there is most certainly a “we” in well-balanced. Successful teamwork 

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Drive higher performance through teamwork in the workplace

balances employees’ skills with the needs of the organization, resulting in a more collaborative and positive organizational culture.

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Underscore the benefits of collaboration

Teamwork takes work — and becoming more team-focused can be an adjustment for managers and employees.  Some managers may be more comfortable with the one person/one project method of defining job functions and distributing responsibilities. And some employees may prefer to work alone — or worry that collaboration might slow them down.

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Underscore the benefits of collaboration

Employees who are used to working independently also may be concerned that their contributions will be overlooked or underappreciated.  To ease any reservations staff members may have, underscore the value of teamwork in the workplace and set clear guidelines and goals for working more collaboratively. Consider 

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Underscore the benefits of collaboration

using a framework or criteria, like SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound), to help jump-start your team-building efforts and structure your goal setting. For example, you could set a goal to complete three hourlong team-building activities over the next three months. (This is a specific goal that is time-bound, as well as attainable, measurable and relevant, too.)

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Underscore the benefits of collaboration

This approach can help you establish a process for teamwork that you can apply to future initiatives that require team focus — like a major project for a top client or development of a new product or service to drive a competitive advantage. Of course, teamwork doesn’t just benefit the organization; it can also boost morale and 

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Underscore the benefits of collaboration

camaraderie, increase job satisfaction and help employees stretch their abilities and raise their profile. Working in teams provides people more opportunities to release their creative ideas and increases their sense of belonging. So be sure to stress these positive outcomes, too.

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