Teamwork

Teamwork and Goals

Student’s Name

Institution

Importance of Teams in the Organization

In any organization setting, teamwork is vital for the growth of the organization as well as its sustainability. Every team has a team leader and this leader must guide the members to reach the company’s goals and objectives. There are very many aspects that the leader must include in his or her work. The first aspect to embrace is inclusivity. There are several other aspects which shall be considered in this paper. One of them is the team-creation process with emphasis on the hiring process.

In any organization, teamwork is important due to the scope of work performed by it. First, no single employee can take on all the tasks of the organization. These employees have different skill sets and each has their own contribution to the company. In addition to this fact, teamwork is also important in the case of physical distance. There are some managers or executives who travel on a frequent basis hence are not in the office on a day-to-day basis. They communicate through email as well as telephone to stay updated and ahead of matters in the organization. Modern technology allows the employees to stay in touch with tasks and assignments as well as liaise with fellow team members. For work to be done effectively, employees need to do have teamwork among themselves(Haas, & Mortensen, 2017).

Teamwork is also vital in the case of departments. Different departments need to work together when performing certain projects. For example, the manufacturing department needs to cooperate with the accounting department to create products on a specified budget. Another important aspect of teamwork is that it brings together people from different ethnicities and backgrounds. The different employee backgrounds mean that they are able to perform differently on assigned tasks(Haas, & Mortensen, 2017).

The selection process has to be done in a way that shall create a team that works to meet the goals of the organization. The manager needs to not just hire but also manage the employees and consequently the teams that result. The hiring process is very complex(Groeneveld, & Kuipers, 2014). One must hire great and effective people to avert possible problems in the organization in future. Every manager knows that recruiting the right people to work for and under them is vital for performance. One of the fists things to consider when hiring is that one should interview at least three people for a given position first. This is because it increases the number of choices available for selection. Some companies also recommend that the interview process takes place in different places and also be done by different people. One of the most notable aspects in the hiring process is that the interviewer will select applicants who are more comfortable working in teams.

Managing people to work in teams is very tricky as it calls for someone with a high emotional quotient. Apart from intellectual intelligence which is necessary, it is necessary to have emotional intelligence which empowers people to discover shifts in attitudes as well as changes in moods which might be crucial to performance. Also, the selection process needs to look at people who are able to cope with different situations and therefore work well. Also, management of teams and individuals goes on to more than emotional intelligence. It is vital that the manager knows how to use the tools of motivation. Rewards to employees and teams are important in order to keep them motivated and forward-minded. An innovative employer will look at other avenues of motivating his or her employees and teams(Groeneveld, & Kuipers, 2014).

For example, awards such as Employee of the Year or Outstanding Department of the Year will create an aura of competition and therefore help reduce lazy or sluggish work. There are other motivational activities such as team-building sessions. A clever manager will realize that a good team will require competitive compensation both on an individual level as well as on a team-basis. Therefore, it is vital that the manager awards team members through allowance packages for sessions. Teams should be encouraged to focus on achieving objectives(Coomber, 2017).

Goal-setting for teams is one area of management that leaders must pay close attention to. A manager must consider the following: what are the company’s and team’s goals? How does the company strive to achieve these goals? What impacts will these goals have specifically? In order to achieve and set goals as a team, every team member must be passionate about it. This therefore depends on how the manager communicates the mission and how he or she motivates the team to achieve the set goals.

Personal goals are never the same as team objectives. Once goals are set for teams, the manager should double down and engage the individual and help set personal goals. A survey done among small businesses shows that a majority of them, 80%, do not track business goals hence lose on achieving organizational objectives. Also, 77% of the leaders in these companies have not yet achieved company visions as outlined in the mission statement. It is important to note that objectives must be clearly communicated as well as understood so as to benefit everyone(Bowen, 2017). Also, it is worth noting that employees who set goals based on personal strengths are seven times likelier to be more attached to their work.

In conclusion, it is evident that organizations require the input of both the worker as well as the team. Therefore, in order to succeed, the goals and objectives of these two have to meet in the middle. An objective setting is key to achieving set goals and is also vital in ensuring that overall company goals are achieved.

References

Bowen, F. (2017). PressReader.com – Connecting People through News. Pressreader.com. Retrieved 22 May 2017, from https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-washington-post/20160128/282737700855675

Coomber, N. (2017). Career Coach: Want to achieve your goals this year? Write them down!. Washington Post. Retrieved 22 May 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-business/wp/2017/01/06/career-coach-what-to-achieve-your-goals-this-year-write-them-down/?utm_term=.808fb382ed98

Groeneveld, S., & Kuipers, B. (2014). Teamwork in the Public Cage: Antecedents of Self-Management of Teams in Public Organizations. Academy Of Management Proceedings, 2014(1), 12064-12064. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2014.12064abstract

Haas, M., & Mortensen, M. (2017). The Secrets of Great Teamwork. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 22 May 2017, from https://hbr.org/2016/06/the-secrets-of-great-teamwork