There is no universal definition of teamwork because its definition varies place places to places according to the social, political, cultural, and environmental placement. Several schools of thought and researches hypothesized teamwork. According to Hacker (2018), Group work refers to a common assignment handed to a particular group that requires the contribution of individual members of the group toward achieving the objectives of the task. Another researcher, Delarue, 2003, refers defines a team as a group assigned with a specific task to execute in an organization.
As many organizations consider teamwork as the critical element in achieving the organization’s objective, is it the most effective method in work organization? To answer and evaluate the efficacy of this stance, this study focuses on two key areas;the characteristics of teamwork and how teamwork enhances the success of an organization.
The first feature of teamwork is a clear direction. Many organizations tend to prioritize the establishment of teams without laying down the goals, objectives, and expected outcomes of these groups. This prioritization thus hinders the success of an organization because a company without a vision eis set to fail. Therefore, before rushing to bring people together, there must be a clear direction and definition of individual roles within the group to obtain the best way of executing the group tasks to achieve the goals of the group. Another notable characteristic of teamwork is effective communication. Communication is the backbone of collaboration because it increases the efficiency and productivity of the team(Hanaysha, & Tahir, 2016 P 273). A sound communication system does not only saves time that would otherwise be wasted due to misinterpretation but also motivates and gives the team a sense of satisfaction hence increasing the work input that makes the organization to jointly achieve its objectives (Lee et al. 2017 P 437)
Another central feature of any successful team is to have common goals and objectives. After assembling a unit, joint goals should be set by the team members together with the underlying strategies, measures, and the stipulated time frame of the completion of the project. Working together as a team to achieve these goals does not only improve the efficiency of the group but also encourage individual development and growth(Hanaysha, & Tahir, 2016 P 276). The fourth characteristic of a team is mutual accountability. The members of the team should always be there for one another because a team is collectively held responsible in times of crises that may lead to failure or in times of the organization’s success. Therefore, the team should make joint decisions with recognition, support, and respect for every individual member of the group if it is to achieve the goals of the organization (Reeves et al. 2018 P 191)
Again, a team has different opinions.Naturally, in every social setting, there must be varied opinions. Teamwork is not an exception to this rule, and therefore, to ensure that a team meets its objectives, different viewpoints must be encouraged. Having conflicting ideas should not be negatively perceived. On the contrary, conflicting opinions in a group increase the performance of balance the focus of the team. They also stir creativity and innovative ideas among the members of the unit, thus more effectively increase the productivity of a company. Collaboration is another feature of teamwork(Sun &Shen, 2016.P 393). This characteristic enhances strong coordination among the members of the team as they share similar goals and objectives, resources, and set of skills that enable them to become more productive and more effective in solving problems that may arise among the team.
A team must have trust. Honesty builds trust. Therefore Without faith, an organization will not work freely because a lack of confidence creates suspicion among members of the team. Lack of trust will also increase the fear of betrayal, and the team will tend to work under compliance rather than commitment. Without commitment, the team will be less productive because of the reduction in innovation and creativity among the members of the group. If there are openness and honesty, members of the group interacting peacefully, and they will be free to bring on board constructive ideas that will move the team forward. Team building based on trust, therefore, gives confidence to the members of the unit, thus increasing productivity (Sun &Shen, 2016.P 399).
The last feature of teamwork is the setting of targets. Targets offer workers with a purpose to work towards. A team without a goal is a dead team. The team should set simple, achievable targets that, when achieved, will create a sense of victory among the team hence building confidence to do even better(Lacerenza et al., 2018.P 574). Threat detection is also essential at this stage because the earlier the threat is detected, the less harmful it will be on the organization’s goals and objectives. Again, the team should evaluate the set targets and offer alternative strategies to push the company forward. The organization’s leadership can also contribute toward the achievement of the set targets by appreciating workers through promotions and the provision of incentives.
In this second part, this study focuses on the importance of teamwork in an organization. How does cooperation contribute to the success of an organization? Collaboration increases the productivity of an organization. A team that that is cohesively bound in working together will produce desirable results. For instance, when a team works together in resolving conflicts and obstacles within the organization, much time is saved and transferred to increasing the productivity of the company(Sun &Shen, 2016 404). Successful conflict resolution process among the members of the group means the team understands and appreciates the weakness of one another. In the long run, the organization becomes stable and can focus more on pushing the company toward the achievement of positive results, thus leading to increased production.
Teamwork provides innovative solutions. A successful team stands on the foundations of trust, openness, and accountability. Trust, in particular, increases innovation since workers are free to share ideas that can propel the organization forward. The second ingredient towards an innovative organization is the motivation of workers(Lacerenza et al., 2018.P 574). If workers are encouraged and appreciated through motivators such as promotions, they will tend to be more creative and innovative, thus making the organization competitive in the business environment. Therefore, a strongly bound team will bring alternative ways of achieving the objectives of an organization by encouraging lucrative innovations.
Lastly, teamwork results in a total commitment of employees in achieving an organization’s goals. Partnership leads to dedication and inspiration because a firmly attached team is motivated to produce good results. If a team is detached, members will become unhappy, and if the conditions become too harsh to tolerate, they may quit leading to poor employee retention. Teamwork gives workers a sense of unity, which encourages job security hence leading to employee retention and commitment(Salas et al., 2017 P 2).
To wrap up, by promoting unity and cooperation in a company through effective communication, the motivation of employees, honesty and trust, openness and accountability, and employee retention, teamwork can be the most effective method in the organization of a company. This proper organization will lead to positive results in the company hence promoting success (Guchait & Tews, 2018 P 317)