Teamwork

Steven SSAMBA

Change Consult (U) Ltd

Basic essentials

What is Teamwork?

What is Teamwork?To understand what Teamwork

is, we need to understand what

a Team is?

A Team is a group of individual

who have come together by

certain circumstances in order

to achieve a goal which is held

by all of them.

What is Teamwork?

The act of using or combining

the skills and talents of all the

individuals in a group or TEAM

in order to achieve a common

goal.

Common Goal?

Common means that all

individuals in the team have

accepted the chosen goal or

goals. They have decided that

those are the important goals

to pursue and achieve over a

certain period of time.

Pictorial representations of Teams at work

Teamwork

People are concerned with

team work because they are

concerned about the team’s

performance in regards to the

common goals

Teamwork

How do we ensure our

team works in order to

achieve all our

common goals?

To answer this question:

Achievement of

common goals

depends of four

things?

To answer this question:

The 4 Ps

People

Product

Processes

Practices

Achievement of Goals.

People

This is the team as it

exists. All uniquely

gifted with different

skills and talents.

Achievement of Goals.

Product

This is the goal or

outcome the team is

pursuing. It has to be

common to all.

Achievement of Goals.

Processes

These are the systems &

tools that the team uses

efficiently in order to

achieve the outcome or

goal(s)

Achievement of Goals.

Practices

These are the behaviors of

the entire team. Team

behavior depends on the

behavior of each individual

TEAM MEMBER.

Achievement of Goals.

In order for the team to

work, special attention

should be given to all

the four Ps.

Achievement of Goals.

People

The people who hold the

right skills and talents

should be identified &

recruited or assembled

right from the start.

People

Managers should ensure they

identify and hire individuals

into the organisation who are

“fit-for-purpose”. These have

the right mix of skills,

qualifications, experience &

competences

People…

If the work to be done is

project based, the manager

should select from the

existing staff, the individuals

who are “fit-for-purpose” i.e.

who are suitable for the task

they are picked for.

Product(s)

The product is the outcome(s)

we are seeking to achieve. For

the People to work well in a

team, the goal (product) should

be clearly articulated. A series of

actions that result into the

accomplishment of the goal

should also be developed.

ProcessesProcesses are the systems and

tools that the team puts in place in

order to achieve the goals.

Systems include things like

procedures, policies, manuals

which guide the team in producing

the outcome. Tools include things

like computers, vehicles,

committees and other office

machines.

ProcessesFor example in creating an effective

HR Unit an organisation may first

design the unit following David

Ulrich’s model or a general HR

model. Processes of getting the job

done would then include policies,

work plans, checklists, review

committees etc. Computers,

Information Management programs

then serve as some of the tools.

Practices

These are the collective behavior of

the team. In order for the team to

work, all team members must

behave in ways that benefit the

team. One individual’s behavior can

either kill or raise that of the entire

team. This means that a culture of

efficient and effective execution and

existence should be created by the

entire team.

PracticesFor example

A team member may be in the habit

of not sharing valuable information,

or arriving late for project work, or

leaking confidential information

(e.g. staff personal information). The

list is endless. This behavior will

affect the entire performance of the

team.

Practices

Practices exist at two levels:

1. Leadership Level

2. Follower Level

Practices

Leadership Level

Leaders are the ones that drive the

vision of the team (to win). How do

you behave towards team

members?

• When they are not working hard

• When they break rules

• When they achieve goals

• When they fail to achieve goals

PracticesFollower Level

Followers are those that do the work

(even the leader does the work).

How do you behave when it comes

to pursuing team goals?

• Do you put in your greatest

effort?

• Do you give up?

• Do you criticize and complain?

• Do you follow the policies or

guides?

Teamwork

In order to achieve the team goals,

teamwork has to “work”.

Come together as a group and

consider which Process and

practices will make you win. Each

one should participate or should be

consulted in order to come up with

systems & tools that will help in

goal achievement.

Teamwork - ParticipationKey questions to ask each team

member are:

What in your opinion or experience

are some of the processes (systems

and tools) we can use in the pursuit

of this goal in order to be the best?

Even holding regular meetings with

the concerned team to learn from

wins and losses is a system.

Teamwork - Behaviors1. Continuously learning?

2. Hard work?

3. Respect for self and others?

4. Proactive nature?

5. Courage?

6. Empowering?

7. Support and help?

8. Empathy?

9. Motivation?

Teamwork - How to win?Once all areas have been covered

through a process of consultation,

the Products (goals), People

(assigned team members),

Processes (systems and tools that

work) and Practices (individual

behavior that we should all

demonstrate day by day moment by

moment) should be written out and

put in a place for all to see.

Teamwork - How to win?A system of communication should

be put in place to ensure that these

are remembered by all team

members.

They could be pinned on internal

notice boards, and in other places

where they can be seen.

Teamwork - How to win?

Everyone wants to win. No one

wants to be a loser, but the only

team that will win is that which will

be vulnerable enough to accept that

“we do not know how to win” and

then they get down to work on

finding means of winning.

Teamwork - How to win?

I guarantee you that if you can

practice these methods I have

shared and put your self to task to

learn even other methods, you will

win.

Teamwork - How to win?Every team is meant to win, every

perceived goal is meant to be

achieved. However if organisations

get it wrong on any of the four Ps,

goal achievement becomes very

difficult. All the four Ps must be put

into consideration if organisations

want to achieve their dreams.

END

By Steven SSAMBA