Teamwork key to success in business

absence.
When I was away so many things happened, a number of deals were sealed and it was great to read and make observations from the sidelines.
One of the issues that grabbed my attention was how the Securities Commission of Zimbabwe flexed its muscles on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
Companies like RioZim and Ariston were cowed into submission. Why I am making particular reference to the commission is because there is general belief in the market that it is a toothless bulldog.
This time they are calling the shots and they are making corporates jump. There was also been some movement at senior executive level with RioZim managing director Josh Sachikonye exiting the mining company while Mr Nyasha Makuvise made way for Dr John Mangudya at CBZ Holdings.
Delta Beverages also announced that incumbent chief executive Mr Joe Mtizwa would be leaving the company on May 31. It seems that the company is living up to its succession plan.
I am sure that these executives are proud of the achievements that they have made during their tenure, which hinged largely on teamwork.
Teamwork is not about a few individuals but everyone involved in the entire process.
Teamwork is one of the subjects I was constantly reading about during my vacation and I found it interesting and motivating.
When I was growing up my priest used to make reference to ants whenever he was speaking about teamwork.
He used to encourage us to emulate what these tiny creatures do, because the results were there for everyone to see.
More often this is what we have failed to emulate, follow and adopt in most cases as human beings.
I have written a lot about company boards and how to chair effective board meetings in a bid to run professional and profitable companies.
I have come to realise that successful companies locally, regionally and internationally are not run by individuals but the entire company has to work as a team.
In the past some brilliant company strategies have failed not because they are bad or the economic environment is not conducive but because the team that is expected to implement those strategies is disjointed.
I also came to realise that great teams build successful companies in this world.
Teamwork has become very important in this current environment more than anything else.
Team leaders in companies have to come up with strategies acceptable to all employees because they run the danger of failure if some team members do not buy into the idea.
The market is tired of blueprints and it is high time company boards start working on winning teams and I do not refer to management, it has to cascade down to the last person with the group.
I thought today we could share some ideas that I have gathered over the past on how to come up with winning teams, bearing in mind that team playing could be taxing. It depends on individuals to choose what kind of team they want to be.
One needs to consider other players’ emotions intellectual input or any form of contribution.
The valuable lesson in teamwork is that if you learn early it becomes easier later in life to integrate into a group of people and work towards a common goal.
One is not always right, thus teamwork is better because everyone has the same vision and if communication is effective you all get to the same place at the same time.
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the photograph and the incandescent light bulb, was once asked why he had a team of 21 assistants. He replied “If I could solve all the problems myself, I would”.
Working within a team allows one the advantages of working with others who complement their weakness and for those whose weakness one might provide the very strengths essential to completing a project successfully.
Teams are formed intentionally, with careful thought and consideration. The purpose of teamwork is to meet work needs that an individual or group cannot meet effectively.
Teams differ from a work group in that the focus is individual goals and accountability the team performance is measured by results produced collectively.
It shows that there are different types of teams that are usually formed with a very specific goal in mind.
A project team is dedicated to a particular task and is usually disbanded once the task is completed.
A team that is intact is one based on a permanent structure, while a cross-functional team would comprise of people of either from different departments or who have different functions within the organisation.
According to educational psychologist Bruce Tuckman there are four steps through which a team is formed.
The formative stage this is a comfortable stage, where serious issues and conflicts are avoided.
The desire to be accepted by the rest of the team prevails. That does not mean people are oblivious to their teammates indeed team members will be judging one another, to form impressions and also weigh up the task ahead and where everyone fits in. However, in various conflicts, team members fail to get much done.
The storming stage is when being nice becomes the thing of the past. People begin to address important issues and along the way tempers flare, minor conflict arises about teamwork or roles within the team.
For the non-confrantational, there is a yearning for the comfort stage whilst others will realise that its good to get into real issues for most people, it’s a natural reaction to suppress conflict and depending on the organisational culture and the team conflict will just bubble beneath the surface.
The normal stage during the normal stage the rules of engagement begin to fall into place and the team will start to agree on their roles and responsibilities.
The team almost falls into a family mode they had their differences and arguments and can now appreciate one another strength weakness and experiences.
What now happens is that the team starts working as a unit whose members appreciate and support each other.
The performing stage this is the stage when the team is driven by performance and is known for achieving results of high performing teams are evident.
During this stage team members know and trust one another. They change roles and responsibilities in a seamless way.
The characteristics of this stage are loyalty, high morale and group identity. Everyone is on the same page each team member is oriented towards tasks and people.
At this point you may be wondering how is this going to work to benefit you? By seeing the value in teamwork, you can make a valuable contribution — either as a team to complete a project within certain time frames it is vital to recognise the various team stages and are able to be catalyst for further development and performance within the team.
It is also important to remember that being in a team is about a willingness to be mutually accountable to the team as a whole.
At the end of the day your commitment will either make or break the team. Let us catch up next week for more on teamwork.