“Teamwork” versus “Community.” Every semester I would ask my class: “What does teamwork look like?” Oh, man! People really struggled with that. Participants in the class started with words like “cooperation” and “friendly.” My job as the instructor was to press the point, so I’d rephrase the question: “If you were an anthropologist from another planet and you were studying humans, how would you describe teamwork in your field notes?” Again, every semester, every class would struggle with this question. And, again, as the instructor I would offer a prompt: “I think people who work in a hospital emergency room are a great example of teamwork.” Then the proverbial lightbulb would go off. Then the class members would start saying things like: Emergency rooms are made up of people who are well-trained, execute distinct roles, help each other as needed, communicate using well-understood terms and procedures. Members of an emergency room team also share some very deep values about saving lives, treating the injured and sick, and “covering” for a co-worker who might be overwhelmed. Then, I would add: “Emergency room teams even practice how to handle situations before they occur. Can you imagine working for a company where teams actually practiced how to do a better job together?” Then, we’d have a good discussion about how to foster genuine teamwork in the workplace. One of the things that the research shows over and over is that “community” does not improve productivity. “Let’s have a potluck!” Or, “Let’s go bowling!” Or, “Let’s do a group activity off-site” do nothing to improve productivity in and of itself. This is so, in part, because “playing together” is vastly different from “working together.” Three ways that really work to improve teamwork productivity are: 1) Clarifying roles, 2) Training in job skills, and 3) Uplifting and rewarding values such as customer satisfaction and service.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:16:38 +0000
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