It has been proven by many scientific experts that collaborative teamwork pays off. This type of problem solving leads to better outcomes as people can take risks which have been calculated and discussed. Since a large number of people can debate over the choices that need to be made, it is considered that teamwork makes the dream work.
Employees can benefit from personal growth and there is an overall greater level of satisfaction. People get to socialize and converse with their colleagues in this manner rather than a remote individual job. Working side by side with your partners is an integral part of running any business, company, team or even a group project. Team collaboration and hybrid work is on its rise now more than ever! Even John J. Murphy who is the author of Pulling Together: 10 Rules of High Performance Teamwork supports this idea. He states that teamwork is essential for a company’s success.
Benefits of Teamwork
Improved problem-solving
Working together whether in person or virtually, employees and managers not only solve more problems, they create even less to start with. This can be seen by the fact that Albert Einstein is famous for coming up with the theory of relativity. However, this breakthrough was possible after several lengthy discussions with his friends and colleagues. People create great solutions when others provide their constructive criticism so the best decisions are made. There is lots of proof-reading and revision.
Hence, the work is surveyed by each member of the team so the chances of a mistake being found are minimized to their lowest. People can more easily adopt the correct responses and ideas whilst rejecting those which seem inaccurate. Most of the time the owners of small-sized businesses spend 25-40% of their time resolving disputes. This work can vary from one to two days a week. Employees find out that they have missed so much of their regular work.
Greater employee satisfaction
As part of research over 1000 employees across a company were surveyed. This was reported based on various industries and it showed the importance of mutual effort and honest feedback. 80% more members suggested higher emotional well being after being part of a team that influenced them to improve their work ethic. Even the University of Warwick underpins this statement for happy employees who are 20% more productive than the rest. Generating happiness amongst colleagues is a gradual process that does not happen overnight. For a conscious effort towards this goal, the company must have a defined set of values and purposes. This will give the employees a better direction and a clearer outlook over how they are expected to perform. Create opportunities for growth of your team by allowing employees to fill in their feedback. This will make the motto of teamwork makes the dreamwork a success.
Greater Innovation
The Medici Effect’s author, Frans Johansson also comments on the benefits of teamwork. According to him great ideas and advances happen at the intersection which is the place where different cultures and industries merge. Success doesn’t come knocking at your door in a comforting setting that you have grown accustomed to. It comes from discomfort with difference of opinion or experience. When people have varying perspectives they strive to become better and everyone has their own input. The consulting firm Mckinsey and Company also says that teams that comprise diverse members as in age, gender, ethnicities or backgrounds give a richness to the team. They are far more creative and perform upto 35% times better. Being exposed to opposing ideas and viewpoints broadens your horizon and lends you a greater vantage point to explore your opportunities. By just interacting with such people can help you stay open minded.
Less burnout
If you are responsible for managing a team then you must make sure not to let your employees be burnt out. If they are regularly being stressed out, it may cause troubles in their productivity and hence your profits. The Gallup study for about 7500 employees also suggests that 23% of them feel burned out at work all the time. Sharing the workload is just one of the ways in which teamwork makes the dreamwork.
There is also emotional support work which means that colleagues understand each others’ struggles. They provide moral support to boost the morale of their partners. Managers or bosses must be less harsh on their employees when it comes to working under lots of stress. People usually work better and without burnout when they know that their bosses have their backs. You should tackle the problem as a group such as meditating together or sharing tips about what practices help reduce stress.
Calculated risks
When you are working individually you often feel hesitant to take bolder steps in businesses or any other field of work. With a team backing you up, it gives you the courage to take risks even if you fail. There will be a team of members who will pull you back up on your feet and support your process of learning. Even for teamwork, size matters a lot.
This means that the smaller the team, the greater the productive outcome. This could suggest that bigger teams allow for more argument which gets in the way of bigger ideas and achievements. Hence, teams of two or three members are quite appropriate for bringing success. The Wharton Business School research team came up with the idea that a team of two people took 36 minutes to build a Lego figure while four people took 52 minutes to finish. Hence there was a difference of almost 40%.
More creative ideas
Working on your own is somewhat tiresome and may not give way to creativity. Hence, when people get together in the same environment with the same goal in mind, they are given the encouragement to come up with better solutions. They can brainstorm ideas in groups, provide their critique or appreciation. Innovative ideas rise to the surface as communication is easy and everyone has a say in whatever is being discussed. Team members must have such a candid and trustworthy relationship where they are not ridiculed for asking even the simple or “stupid” questions. Employees need to be comfortable with each other so they can give the best performance. Managers can do this by chartering the strengths of employees and delegating tasks to everyone. With the right leader and team, joint effort can reap benefits and foster creativity. People don’t need to be embarrassed if their imagination runs wild.
Increases employee motivation
Humans are social creatures which means that even a very introverted person prefers to be surrounded by the right people. This is so that they get to share their experiences and struggles and help each other out when in need. If you are emotionally or physically exhausted, your teammates can give you the extra energy boost. The team motivation rises as you share your success. Whilst the gloomy times become bearable when you share your failures. Hence, your team becomes your second family where you get to confide your concerns and celebrate happiness. In a team there is a great level of ownership of the project and a sense of recognition as well.
Essentials of team effort
Both team members and leaders need to possess certain qualities so that the team can function at its utmost. The leader needs to have lots of emotional intelligence and a clear vision. He must be able to keep in view the needs and demands of his team while taking any decision. Someone who cannot take his team forward or stay compatible with them may not prove to be the exemplary leader that he wishes to be. Likewise the team members also need to be understanding of their colleagues so there is least amount of friction. In the present word everything is multidisciplinary and multitasking has become a problem. Thus, teamwork is important more than ever. In contrast to the previous times when in the industrial era most of the people had manufacturing jobs. They only did one task at a time and that too individually without any help from others.
Todays’ economy is knowledge driven meaning that most of our jobs involve interacting with people from different fields. Everything is integrated and great work requires input from people who have different lines of interest. To perform as an individual or together as a team with your employees or colleagues is the secret ingredient to success. This can be seen by the example of Steve Jobs. For instance, his apple products have entirely transformed people’s way of living and interacting.
Without his creative and hardworking professionals, his innovations would never have reached the hands of people around the world. With teamwork the entire workplace remains unified and there is an atmosphere that fosters friendship and loyalty. The close-knit relationship between employees allows them to work harder and cooperate with each other. Within a diverse team environment there are a variety of strengths, weaknesses, talents and habits. Employees focus not on their own achievements but on the collective group.
