Teamwork at workplace
In the 21st century, organizations are like large teams whose performance is based upon the smaller teams constituting them. From marketing to finance and operations, there are several teams working together to achieve the organizational objectives. Organizational processes and functions have become highly complicated. With the rise of Information technology, tasks and projects have become more complex requiring group's efforts to be completed. Teamwork means the entire group makes efforts in synchronization to achieve the end result.
The importance of teamwork is high for several reasons. The first reason is that it increases efficiency. Teams are more efficient than individual workers. If three people work individually they would not be able to accomplish as much as they can while working as a team. People bring different types of skills and knowledge to the team. When they work together, they contribute to various aspects of the project and act to fulfill each other's deficiencies. Now, an individual cannot be expected to be efficient at everything or have all kinds of skills. When there is a team there are several minds invested in the same project. How much these minds will be able to accomplish together depends on the level of teamwork. If the level of teamwork is good, people will be more comfortable working together and their contribution to the project will be higher. If the level of collaboration is good, it will automatically remove several hurdles that reduce the pace of work.
Another important reason that focus must be on teamwork is that it reduces the workload on each individual. Different people are equipped with diverse skill sets and knowledge. Together they are able to better shoulder work pressure and deal with any challenges. A person who is left to work alone would feel higher work pressure and exhaustion. Being a team person on the other hand, helps at performing in heavy pressure situations. Its is why organizations should create an environment of teamwork. Higher level of teamwork means better collaboration, better communication and better flow of ideas. Overall, this is going to result in higher performance and productivity at the organizational level. Reduced workload also improves employee morale and job satisfaction. Moreover, if level of cooperation is high and people are willing to lend support to each other, it will automatically lead to better performance.
Most organizations are now encouraging diversity. The reason is that people from diverse backgrounds bring diverse skills, knowledge and experiences. It also denotes a richer human resource base. Management must use team based incentives so that people feel encouraged to work together as teams. Apart from it other mechanisms including feedback and performance management system can be used to encourage and increase the level of teamwork inside the organization. Teamwork is always healthy for an organization and particularly in the 21st century when nothing can be accomplished without the efforts of an entire team it is more than compulsory.
