Mr.

Teamwork

In many of football, basketball or volleyball matches we see the coach gather his team to encourage them before the match begins and also during the break time. Some teams succeed to win a game while other doesn't. Sometimes the same team who won last time didn't win next time. Some teams are impossible to be defeated, while others are always known as losers. Context, composition, work design and process are the four elements that make an effective and successful team.

Context: Adequate resources: Sufficient support from management and organization will positively increase team effectiveness like proper equipment, back-up, adequate staffing and administrative support.

Effective leadership: Whether team was self-managed or had a leader, a good team structure will lead to better performance.

Climate of trust: When trust is being shared by team members workflow becomes easier, no need to watch each other behaviour and they are more secured by the idea of being safe on the hand of each other.

Performance evaluation and reward system: In addition to the individual rewarding system, there must be a team rewarding system to encourage team members to be jointly accountable.

Composition: Abilities of members: A right mix of technical expertise, problem solving and decision making and interpersonal skills will lead the team to better performance.

Personality: Extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience, The big five personality model, are relevant to team effectiveness. The mix of these five factors will affect the team more likely than the mean.

Allocating roles: Matching individual's preferences with team role demands will lead to better effectiveness.

Diversity: Dissimilar individuals in term of personality, gender, age, experience and education will create an ambiance of conflict which will lead to more creativity and improve decision making.

Size of team: the ideal size of team is less than 10 members. An increase in team members will lead to less efficiency.

Member flexibility: Flexible individuals will help completing each other jobs in team in order to accomplish higher performance.

Member performances: Considering individual preferences to be a part of the team will make a successful team. Those who prefer to work alone would be an obstacle inside a team.

Work Design: A good work design must include variables such as freedom and independence, skill variety, task identity and task significance. Such elements motivate members to perform better.

Process: Sharing a common and meaningful vision that provides direction, momentum, and commitment for team members will lead to successful team. The team will translate this vision into specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals. Confidence in team members will lead to more success and managers should support that with required training to guarantee team efficacy. Task conflict will inspire discussions, creativity and variety of options which will lead to more effectiveness. Diminishing social loafing and helping members to be jointly accountable leads to successful teamwork.

Despite the fact that many of the recent organization support and apply the teamwork approach, some indications support work done by individuals. In some cases when teamwork takes more time than individuals to make a decision, it is better and less costly to count on individual work.

Teamwork is functional when any of these main three requirements exist:

* Dissimilar tasks that counts on diversity of individuals.

* An existence of a similar vision and set

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