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Building and Leading High Performing Teams Through Teamwork It all comes down to the leader.

By Krishna Athal

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Many academics and theorists have emphasized the significance of recognizing the effect of teamwork on the performance of an organization. Likewise, many researchers perceive teamwork as one of the driving forces that improve an organization's performance. Team members are encouraged to develop their abilities, awareness and skills while understanding and learning team dynamics.

The objective of encouraging teamwork in an establishment is to improve the organization's overall performance while optimally unleashing the potential of the skills and talents of all the team members required to complete respective tasks efficiently effectively. There exist two fundamental features which can directly help team members perform to their maximum capacities: self-management and interpersonal team skills. Successful teamwork relies upon synergism existing between all team members, creating an environment where they are all willing to contribute and participate in promoting and nurturing a positive, effective team environment.

There are numerous differences in the productivity of individuals working in teams versus a person working individually on the same project. However, it should be noted that an employee who works in a team becomes more constructive and productive. This is because the team member obtains or enriches their necessary organizational competencies through unconstrained and infinite learning, collaborating and exchanging experiences, notions and ideas. Hence, teamwork is a crucial component for the expansion, functioning, and, more importantly, the success of an organization.

Many researchers have examined the importance of teamwork in the productivity and performance of employees. Such importance is owed to the practical impact of teamwork on the organization and its employees. Most academic and organizational promoters of teamwork have deliberated on the concept of teamwork as an essential skill for employees to achieve the organization's goals and objectives.

Teamwork happens when different characters work together to accomplish a particular task or goal. Today, teams quickly replace individuals and have become the building blocks of the organization. On the other hand, teams, which leaders form, have common goals. Team members tend to imbibe operative and reciprocal connections to attain those goals. To a great extent, teamwork depends on team members who share knowledge and skills and work jointly in a common milieu to achieve shared goals. Teamwork is believed to have a strategic role in an organization's success in a large-scale, change-prone, customer-focused environment.

Related: Why Teamwork Is the Key to Customer Satisfaction

Teamwork management turns out to be successful only when it agrees to enhance the organization's performance and helps achieve organizational goals. This can increase the organization's ability to adapt, which is vital for its survival and development, leading to achieving organizational objectives. Conversely, the application of appropriate and accurately directed indicators assists in shaping the methodology regarding team management. However, even though comprehensive studies have been carried out in teamwork, a broad spectrum of variability has been found in the characteristics of teams by virtue of the metamorphosis of the environments in which teamwork is leveraged. This raises new challenges for the organization to adapt to while acknowledging the former and current theories and practices of teamwork.

Related: These Entrepreneurs Share Ways to be an Effective Team Member

Undoubtedly, it is safe to say that creating a proficient and adept culture of teamwork in an organization is not trouble-free and painless. This is due to the contemporary challenges and the rising cutthroat rivalry seen amongst organizations nowadays. Several kinds of challenges in organizational operations have lately become visible because of the progress that has taken place in various fields, thus making it more challenging and trickier to establish a robust culture of teamwork in an organizational environment. Communication, confidence and transformational leadership are the most productive fundamentals to conquer the various failures related to teamwork. Devoid of these factors, it is almost impossible to implement well-organized teamwork.

The following components are significant if the expertise and productivity of teamwork are being projected:

  1. Team members should have trust and confidence in each other
  2. Be prepared and analytical thinking to engross in arguments about diverse mindsets
  3. Commitment to the plans of action and resolutions put forward by the organization
  4. Effective leadership, which allocate precise roles and duties to members of the team
  5. Appropriate performance evaluation of team members along with rewards and recognition for outstanding contribution
  6. Focus on collaborative achievement of goals

Related: 10 Corny but Undeniably True and Inspiring Quotes About Teamwork

A recipient of numerous leadership and innovation awards, Krishna Athal has a BA in business and enterprise, an MBA in leadership and management and is currently a PhD candidate in leadership and entrepreneurship.

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