Teamwork – the new workplace exhortation

No employer ever wants his employees to have discords among themselves. A congenial working environment is every management’s cherished desire and to that extent, employees who are as at ease working with others as by themselves are much sought after. Anybody contrary to this is undesirable and sooner or later, finds himself being shown the door.

The truth is that no person can perform in a watertight compartment or vacuum like environment.  A common goal is what is cherished by all in all activities and projects. In fact, they are designed to achieve this, which is made possible working in a team. Workers at all levels are increasingly seeking diversities in visions and opinions, which, per se are facilitated only if work is done in groups.

Today, it is essential that individual preferences are discarded and replaced with those that foster teamwork. People who have all along been loners (and this word should not cast any aspersions on their performance capability) also ought to start acknowledging the importance of and subscribing to camaraderie.

Functioning in a group implies that there are different forces acting on the prevailing atmosphere. People may harbour varying standpoints, support diverse lines of action and accord individual precedence to matters. Under such a situation, one should be a patient listener. New options of implementing a work-assignment may be thrown up; it is desirable that one is receptive to them. Display of rigidity has more monumental problems vis-à-vis exhibition of flexibility.

Some tips to be an efficient team-player are:

·   Respect others: The most important aspect is to respect the suggestions and viewpoints of others. In this game, there is no age factor, issue of experience or personal proximity that is involved. A conscientious person needs to be considerate to every team member, junior or senior, young or elderly and novice or experienced alike. Equal opportunities have to be afforded to all. It should be remembered that more often than not, out-of-the-box ideas originate from quarters that are least expected. Another related but highly significant issue caring for the time of fellow workers. If there are internal deadlines to me meet, there can be no alternatives. Punctuality and doing one’s homework ought to be the guiding principles.

·   Be flexible: The rudiments of teamwork are found in a flexible approach. One needs to have and adjustable working disposition. There are many people who like to be slow but steady. They are not impulsive, unlike others who exert in bits and pieces. Team work means convergence of ideas and adoption of an acceptable course of action, divergent notions that may be existing notwithstanding. The beacon of adaptability should always be functional. But giving in or acceding to others more than what is essential is incorrect too. One may be fairly reasonable and circumstances may exert pressure to succumb. There is no justification to unwarranted succumbing to external pressure tactics, when one is reasonable enough in put across viewpoints. Anybody who does so evidently ignores output considerations.

·   Share & contribute: A bunch of individuals thrown inside a ring do not necessarily display teamwork or work in harmony. But it should not be forgotten that parts and fractions add up to more than their sum total. Hence the need to play a team game cannot be overemphasized. A healthy competition is an inescapable requirement in a team. But when such competition gives way to intra-team rivalry, volatility pervades the environment. Spirits of mutual trust or collective esteem take a beating. The focus should be to share everything available and everything possible - from thoughts to resources. Working for personal motive should be a big no-no and any tendency to climb the ladder individually should be discouraged. It is working together in harmony towards the achievement of a common objective that should never be lost sight of. Doing so will offer a wide spectrum of solutions to problems, several options and courses of action and more importantly, well-arrived at decisions.

·   Communicate & disseminate candidly: The prime causative factor of success of a team is frankness with which ideas are exchanged. But regrettably, unambiguous communications continue to plague setups as a result, misgivings and misunderstandings creep in. People who are effective team players invariably do not conceal things. They are forthright and convey their points of view honestly, be they within the group or outside it. Calling a spade a spade is alright, but it should be done with due diligence. Communications are a two-way process. Speaking out one’s mind in a candid fashion also calls for listening patiently and accepting feedback, even if it is negative. But more significant is to put such feedback to good utility, that is, to become a better team-player.

·   Remain devoted & sincere: A person who is disinterested or who lacks perseverance is never welcome. Any individual having a focus of attention that lies elsewhere cannot fit into a team. So if one has to part of a tea, it has to be in letter and spirit. And if there happen to be deviations, the same will manifest in changed behavioural patterns. Any indifferent or unconcerned attitude will not go unnoticed. Dedication calls for sincerity of effort. It also means playing an active role. It is no point standing in the galleries like cheerleaders. What will matter is being where the action is. A my-horse-also-ran disposition is worthless and a person harbouring it is a non-performer.

You cannot whistle a symphony; it takes an orchestra to play it. And strength lies not in similarities but in differences. And if the differences come together, it is a good start; if they keep together, it is progress; and if they work together, it is success. That says it all.