Employee drivers – Teamwork

What is teamwork?

Teamwork quite literally means working together as part of a team – and feeling supported and empowered by other members of your team.

Teamwork is about more than one person coming together, using their complementary skills, and solving challenges, finding solutions, and driving innovation.

Why is teamwork important for employee engagement?

When an employee has a positive relationship with colleagues, they’re much more likely to feel engaged at work. Any job has its ups and downs, but having a supportive group of colleagues to turn to helps employees get through the tougher times. When it comes to wellbeing, often it’s your day-to-day colleagues who can spot any changes in behaviour and offer real-time support.

What are the benefits of prioritising teamwork?

Prioritising teamwork can have many benefits for both individuals and organisations. Some of the key benefits include:

• Increased productivity: When team members work together effectively, they can often achieve more than they could individually. This is because team members can share ideas, pool resources, and provide mutual support.
• Improved decision-making: Teams can often make better decisions than individuals because they have a wider range of perspectives and experiences to draw on. This can lead to more creative and innovative solutions to problems.
• Enhanced creativity: Teams can also be more creative than individuals because they can build on each other’s ideas and feedback. This can lead to new and innovative products, services, and processes.
• Reduced stress: Teamwork can help to reduce stress levels for individuals. This is because team members can share the workload and provide emotional support.
• Improved morale: Teamwork can also improve morale and motivation for individuals. This is because team members feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and that their work is valued.
• Increased customer satisfaction: Teams can also improve customer satisfaction. This is because team members are better able to understand and meet customer needs.

What are the outcomes of poor teamwork?

 Poor teamwork can have a number of negative consequences for both individuals and organisations. Some of the key outcomes include:

• Reduced productivity: When team members don’t work together effectively, they can often achieve less than they could individually. This is because team members may not share ideas, pool resources, or provide mutual support.
• Decreased morale: Poor teamwork can also lead to decreased morale and motivation for individuals. This is because team members may feel like they are not part of a team or that their work is not valued.
• Increased conflict: Poor teamwork can also lead to increased conflict between team members. This can be caused by a number of factors, such as personality clashes, misunderstandings, or a lack of communication.
• Poor decision-making: Teams that don’t work together effectively may make poor decisions. This is because team members may not have all the information they need, or they may not be able to agree on a course of action.
• Increased stress: Poor teamwork can also lead to increased stress levels for individuals. This is because team members may feel like they are carrying the weight of the team on their own, or they may be worried about the consequences of poor teamwork.
• Lower customer satisfaction: Poor teamwork can also lead to lower customer satisfaction. This is because customers may not receive the level of service they expect, or they may be frustrated by the lack of communication between team members.

How can you support teamwork?

Here are some tips for supporting teamwork in your organisation:

• Set clear goals and expectations: Make sure everyone on the team knows what they are working towards and what is expected of them.
• Foster communication and collaboration: Encourage team members to communicate openly and collaborate with each other.
• Resolve conflict constructively: When conflict arises, help team members to resolve it in a constructive way.
• Provide feedback and recognition: Provide regular feedback to team members and recognise their contributions.
• Celebrate successes: Take time to celebrate team successes, big and small.

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