Having a strong team that’s efficient and effective has the power to make a huge impact, so understanding the structure and characteristics of how a team works is crucial. Nothing is worse than being a leader with a big dream and a bad team.
Teamwork in a workplace environment can be seen in various ways now that we have the flexibility of hybrid working, remote working and office shared spaces. While these situations have opened up new ways of working, the benefits of teamwork have still remained the same since the start.
What is teamwork?
Teamwork is the combined effort of a group interacting with one another to accomplish a shared goal. Rather than working alone, a team uses everyone’s individual strengths and their diverse yet complementary skill sets to achieve success together.
Whether it’s strategising for a new creative brief, designing visual graphics for an advertising campaign, or coding a website for a client, working as a unit leads to more productive collaboration and innovative solutions.
Great teamwork happens when the skills of each member can be combined in an effective way. But having that doesn’t always mean it’s going to work out.
Sometimes personalities clash, conflicts rise and people are on different pages. A team is only as successful as the leadership behind it, so if an organisation with weak leadership doesn’t give each team member a voice, offer the tools members need to grow, or encourage them to collaborate, the framework of a good team will just fall out the window. Leadership and teamwork work hand and hand together.
A weak team can lead to employees feeling siloed and working in hostile environments, so having many good teamwork qualities is crucial.
The importance of teamwork
With people spending a significant portion of their lives at work, fostering a supportive team enhances overall job satisfaction for employees and a higher success rate for businesses.
In healthy teams, members acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses, yet also support each other to overcome challenges. It’s crucial for everyone to feel trusted, supported, and empowered in their roles, because it will then enable them to contribute not only to the shared company goals but also to their personal career growth goals.
Having great teams gives the sense of belonging which fosters greater investment in the business they are part of.
How to improve teamwork in the workplace
To begin creating an effective team, a leader must provide mentorship, boost confidence, and foster mutual respect. They should be able to identify the talents of their employees and how they mesh, intertwine and work together.
Giving the right tasks to the right people with the right skills is what will make your team effective. For example, make sure the person who has the visual, creative perspective is working in a design position rather than a data analytics one.
Characteristics of teamwork
Not all teams will work the same, sometimes it will take trial and error, but here are some key characteristics to implement that will immediately make a difference:
- Sense of Belonging & Camaraderie: Each member must know where in the team they fit in and how their skills interact best with others. Feeling accepted within the team will help build healthy bonds both inside and outside the office.
- Respectful Communication: Everyone should be able to speak openly and feel valued when sharing to the people in their team. Actively listen to your team members – they might just have a brand new idea that will change everything!
- Solution-Focused Mindset: A strong team opens opportunities for everyone to develop various solutions to resolve conflicts or problems. Then everyone can adapt, change and grow together.
- Ownership: Teamwork requires honesty and trust – people should feel comfortable to own up to their mistakes without getting judged.
- Achievable Goals: It’s important that people feel like they can accomplish all the goals the company has set for them. When people are overworked and overscheduled, they become scattered and stressed which doesn’t make for a positive working experience.
Now it’s your time to take these characteristics into consideration and build your best effective teams! If you’re looking for a place where businesses and relationships can thrive, Haven can help you!
We are a Canberra based co-working space, offering a range of premium workspace options to suit your business requirements. The Haven community is a meeting of forward-thinking minds from government to technology and more – an environment where your relationships can thrive and be nurtured. We pride ourselves on providing a premium space with high-quality fit-out, secure and robust technology and exceptional customer service.
