Teambuilding Makes
Your Organization Stronger
by Mary G. White
What makes a group of
people who work together function as a team? Just because people are
employed by the same company does not mean that they see themselves as a
team or that they engage in teamwork. Working together is not the same
thing as teamwork.
It’s important for
managers to understand the difference between the work of teams and the
concept of teamwork. When the people who work for your organization carry
out the essential functions of their jobs, they are completing the work of
teams. They may or may not be working together in the cooperative and
collaborative manner that indicates that they are truly functioning as a
team.
What is a Team?
By definition, a team
is a group of two or more people who interact with each other and coordinate
their work efforts in pursuit of a common goal. In most companies, work
teams are the norm for how the day to day operations of the business are
conducted.
Why Does Teambuilding
Matter?
Teams are here to stay
in the work environment. Good, bad, or indifferent -- it is a fact that
most businesses will continue to utilize work teams throughout their ranks
for the foreseeable future. Things can go two ways with teams: they can be
functional or they can be dysfunctional.
Actively engaging in
teambuilding efforts is an important tool for helping your workforce to come
together as a functional team, which is in the best interest of the
organization at every level. The primary purpose of teambuilding activities
and training within your organization is to develop cohesive work groups
made up of individuals who treat each other with respect, understand their
roles in the workplace, and pull together for the overall good of the
company.
Where Does
Teambuilding Start?
Teambuilding has to
start at the top of the organization. Whether they like it or not, managers
set the tone for acceptable behavior within their organizations. When
employees see their company’s management team members pull together as a
cohesive team, they will be much more likely to exhibit similar behaviors
themselves.
Managers have a
responsibility to model the appropriate attitudes to employees, and to
provide employees with the training that they need in order to develop from
a group of people who happen to work together to a team that can accomplish
amazing things on behalf of the company.
About
the Author:
Mary
Gormandy White is Director of Continuing Education and Corporate Training at
Mobile Technical Institute
http://www.mobiletechwebsite.com.
She teaches seminars, classes, and makes conference presentations on
teambuilding and a number of additional management, customer service, and
communication topics in the Mobile, AL area and nationwide. Visit
http://www.dailybizsolutions.com for business development tips for
entrepreneurs, managers, and other professionals.
*This article may be reprinted provided the
author bio and website links are included. |
