16

Teamwork

16.1 Introduction

Teamwork is so universal a concept that we see examples of it all around us, among garden ants to astronauts in space. Modern organizations also thrive on efficient teams and concerted group efforts. In addition, they have redefined the concept of teamwork in view of new realities such as globalization, distributed teams and widespread use of technology. Working effectively in a team is considered an extremely important and arguably the most important soft skill. With excessive focus on individual marks, teamwork is not given its due share of importance, and sometimes, it is even discouraged.

In this chapter, we will take a closer look at teamwork and how you can nurture this skill. In Section 16.2, we will enumerate some of the characteristics of modern teams. Section 16.3 discusses team chemistry and how a team evolves over time. Section 16.4 presents some tips on building team chemistry. A particularly important part of this is stepping up to the plate, which is discussed in Section 16.5. Section 16.6 highlights some pitfalls standing in your way of becoming a good team player. And Section 16.7 lists some benefits that you can accrue by being a good team player. We summarize this chapter in Section 16.8.

16.2 Characteristics of Modern Teams

Modern teams that you will be working in when you take up a job are most likely to have the following characteristics:

Geographically distributed: Whether you work in the banking, manufacturing or information technology industry, the team you work with may be geographically distributed across countries and continents. Technology has reduced or even torn down geographic barriers. You will have to work with people whom you have never seen before and may never see in your life. This requires you to polish your writing and verbal communication skills.

Culturally and linguistically diverse: The members of a geographically spread team are likely to come from different cultures and from different languages. You will need to quickly understand and be sensitive to the culture of each member of your team. You will also have to recognize and appreciate their linguistic diversity and be open and patient.

Interdependent: Your work will inherently be interwoven with others’ work. This will require you to engage in timely communication and keep your colleagues informed. What this also means is that your success will not be measured in isolation but in the context of the success of your team.

Multidisciplinary: Technology has blurred not only geographical boundaries but also disciplines of work. In the past, an accountant could remain just that, an accountant. Today he or she needs to be intimately familiar not only with accounting but also with accounting software and communication technologies, such as email and the internet. The people with whom you will have to interact during each workday might be from various disciplines, and it will be essential for you to communicate with them in a way they can understand.

More peer-oriented and less hierarchy-based: Today, organizations are flatter and leaner. There is a distinct reduction in hierarchies and levels. The colonial styles of communication that you learnt in school (‘Respected Sir, I hereby humbly request you…’) is passé. You will have to learn to communicate in a style that is less formal and more candid, without beating around the bush.

Temporary, project-based: Teams today are formed and disbanded on a need basis. It is quite likely that you might not have worked with anyone in your team in the past and might never get a chance to work with them again in the future. Therefore, to be able to work in teams effectively, you will have to learn to quickly establish a ‘team chemistry’ (discussed later) and develop a rapport with your team members.

16.3 Team Chemistry–How Do Teams Evolve?

The term ‘team chemistry’ is used to describe how well a team is integrated. Well-run groups are considered to have a lot of ‘chemistry’ and inefficient teams with a lot of infighting are supposed to have ‘no chemistry’ between team members. Good chemistry leads to great synergy in a team, where synergy refers to the phenomenon when team members interact and combine their efforts. A synergistic team’s output is far greater than the sum of the outputs of each team member if they worked separately. The underlying principle is that the power of people working together effectively as a team is much greater than when they work individually.

How does team chemistry evolve? How does it get nurtured? To understand this, let us look at a popular theory that explains the different stages of team development. According to this theory, which is depicted in Figure 16.1 and was proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965¹, a team goes through four stages—forming, storming, norming and performing.

In the forming stage, a team gets together; rather, it is brought together for a project. The people in the team try to understand and learn about each other. Each person tries to read the other members of the team and gets to understand their modes of operation, strengths and weaknesses. The team members come to terms as to how to work with each other. Some ground rules are established.

This leads to the next logical stage—the storming stage. During this stage, the members slowly become more communicative. They express their views candidly. The feeling is still one of ‘I am an individual and my needs and views are paramount’. But by communicating more, the team members advance to the next stage—namely understanding (or getting resigned to) the fact that they have to work together as a team and that this can entail some changes in their individual work habits.

The next stage, norming, increases bonding among the team members. They actually implement changes in their work habits to accommodate each other’s needs. They also recognize that there are multiple points of view within a team and that one needs to arrive at a balance by taking into account all these different and sometimes conflicting points of view. The realization of the old dictum, ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’, starts dawning on the team at this stage.

The performing stage is the culmination of all the previous stages. At this stage, the team achieves the objectives that were set forth at the beginning of the project (or the forming stage). Trust among the team members increases substantially during the performing stage. The team members are more accommodative of each other’s needs. They celebrate the success of the team and take part in overcoming the obstacles faced by the team without any narrow feelings like ‘this is not my problem’. Flexibility, courtesy and results orientation all become hallmarks of the team at this stage.

Tuckman’s theory is not rocket science. Recollect your transition from school to college. When you had new classmates, you were apprehensive and suspicious initially. You selectively made friends and yet maintained a distance. As days went by, your friendships became more intimate and you were willing to change yourself to accommodate your friends. Finally, you started celebrating each other’s success and helping to resolve each other’s problems.

Like your group of college friends, each team at work is formally disbanded once its project is over (even though your friendships will last). But, there is an important difference in work-related teams. You seldom have a choice on who you work with. Thus, it becomes even more important for you to adapt yourself to the people in your team and work for the team’s success. As somebody famously said, 80% of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.

Next, let us look at some general principles of team behaviour.

16.4 Some Tips on being a Good Team Player

Here are some common sense tips on being a good team player.

Know the goals of your team and internalize shared goals and vision: Know what your team is all about and the end goals it is set to achieve in as much detail as you can. Understand the big picture and the role of your team in the context of your entire organization and the external environment. Make sure you clearly understand the non-negotiable goals and value systems that you are supposed to follow.

Know your work and value the work of others: Understand your functions and those of the others. Ask questions such as the following and make sure you internalize the answers:

• Why are you in the team?
• What technical expertise are you bringing to the project?
• How does your work supplement and complement that of the others?
• Respect others’ contribution to the goal as much as you have pride in your own work.

Empathize with others’ points of view: Understand others’ points of view, even if you disagree with them. If necessary, have a private discussion with them to better understand their concerns. Likewise, be very articulate in expressing your opinions and reservations.

Since most of today’s teams are geographically distributed and you are likely to interact with people from different languages and cultures, be sensitive to cultural differences and the resultant problems. Spend some time and effort in trying to understand different cultures.

Go the extra mile when required: There is a division of labour in your team, so do not step on other peoples’ responsibilities and do their jobs. Likewise, do not shirk your responsibilities, presuming that somebody else would fulfil them for you. At the same time, be prepared to go beyond your normal call of duty, step up to the plate during crises and go the extra mile for your team.

Assume secondary roles, depending on what additional skills you have: In every team, team members need to play various secondary roles in addition to performing their primary activities. For example, effective communicators can facilitate communication across their team. People who are good at resolving conflicts can mediate disputes before they get out of hand. Some can act as their team’s humorists, adding a light touch to meetings. Every team also needs enablers who can act as catalysts for team performance; devil’s advocates, who can provide contrary viewpoints; experts in ‘ice-breaking’ and making new team members feel welcome and so on. You should examine yourself and figure out what secondary skills you can bring to your team and what elements your team needs to develop.

Display commitment and build mutual trust: You have to be—and be recognized as a reliable team player, completing your assignments properly and in time. Your commitment to your team should be total. Understand the workflow around you and make sure there is tremendous trust between you and your immediate contacts.

Celebrate your team’s achievements: Make time to unwind and celebrate your team’s accomplishments, such as the achievement of milestones and major break-throughs. These celebrations can help you to discover the personal side of your colleagues and bond with them better.

Build relationships: Trust-building arises from building relationships. No matter how long your team is going to be around, it is a good idea to build relationships with your teammates, at least working relationships that can make team interactions pleasant and friendly. Know the limits of such professional relationships and respect others’ right to keep a distance, if they so choose. Participate actively in all team-building activities organized by your employer. Remember that in modern teams, relationships do not just happen—they need to be cultivated.

Network: This is an extension of the above point. Build up a large network of contacts, both within and outside your team. Networking can be useful even after a project is over. Work on your rapport-development skills and learn to speak effectively over the phone. Cultivate the art of making small talk (see Chapter 19). Make use of professional networking websites where you can.

Communicate: Communicate, communicate and communicate! We have reserved this for the very end as it is arguably the most important aspect of teamwork. Keep your team informed of all updates, results, plans and potential problems. Do not be shy about calling up people and interacting over the phone. Periodic vertical communication with your upper management is crucial. Give appropriate instructions to the people you delegate work to. Contact with other similar project teams within your organization is also recommended.

16.5 Stepping Up to the Plate or Leadership by Example

‘Stepping up to the plate’ is a baseball metaphor that has found its way into everyday business vocabulary. In baseball, ‘plate’ refers to ‘base’ and, quite literally, the term ‘stepping up to the plate means’ being a batter at the home base, facing the pitcher, during a very critical juncture of the game and then beating the odds and delivering a big hit.

For those of you who reckon things in cricket terminology, this is analogous to being sent to bat as an 8 down batsman having to score 50 more runs in 5 overs for a win. The situation is not exactly hopeless but you need a minor miracle to win. And if you pull off a win, you earn a place in history books and inspire others to follow your example.

Thus, to step up to the plate is to face up to a challenge or a critical situation, increase one’s efforts and performance level significantly and, in the end, deliver success. In other words, stepping up to the plate is the same as leadership by example.

The process of stepping up to the plate roughly goes along the following lines:

1. A challenging problem (‘showstopper’) looms in your project.
2. Volunteers are solicited to take on the challenge, but there are few takers.
3. You quickly assess the situation and the risks. You take the initiative and voluntarily take on the assignment.
4. Being self-directed and highly energetic, you make your own game plan to meet the challenge.
5. You execute your plan, put in superhuman effort, following the PDCA cycle, and deliver the required results.
6. You learn many new skills in the process and emerge a winner.

People who step up to the plate have the following characteristics, which you should also try to develop:

• An appetite for challenge: Go beyond your comfort zone and accept new challenges. You should always be hungry to contribute to your organization and showcase your strengths.
• The ability to take calculated risks: You take calculated risks when you volunteer for tasks that you may have never done before.
• Confidence: If you are confident, you do not get fazed by failure.
• Awareness about personal limitations: You should know not just your strengths but also your limitations. Stepping up to the plate does not mean doing everything yourself. It also involves knowing your limits.
• The willingness to take responsibility: You should take full ownership and responsibility for the tasks that you undertake. You should have a ‘do-what-it-takes’ attitude and deliver results. You should not give excuses.

16.6 What can Weaken a Team?

In the previous section, you learnt what it takes to be a good team player. Now we will look at some things that can derail your efforts at being a good team player.

Win/lose attitude: Nothing is more destructive to a team than individuals with bloated egos who not only want themselves to win but also want the other person to lose and feel inferior. Such an attitude can destroy group cohesiveness and create tension. When you work in a team, make sure you identify the thin line between pride in your work (which is essential) and arrogance (which can lead to ego and should be avoided).

Not seeing the big picture: This is a variation of the above, except for the ego part. Here individuals fall in love with their own ideas or get obsessed with their own targets and fail to see the big picture. Whatever the discussion may be, they always try to steer it towards their interest and thus shift the focus away from the main discussion. As a team member, be sure you understand your targets in the context of the big picture. It is important to understand the interdependence rather than feel that it is more important to be independent.

Poor interpersonal skills: Some people may be too quarrelsome, too sensitive or too rude. As a team member, do not be too shy to communicate and express your views. At the same time, if you do get into some argument during the course of a project discussion, do not take it personally. The mature way of handling such things is to go up to that colleague afterwards, extend a hand of friendship and share a laugh.

Group thinking: Although group cohesiveness is important, it is also necessary that you do not adopt a flock mentality. One of the pitfalls of team chemistry is that, after a while, team members tend to develop an identical way of thinking. They do not want to disagree with the people with whom they have been working for a long time and have developed camaraderie. In this process, they tend to lose or at least not showcase their individual strengths. As a team member, remember to be objective and not to sacrifice your individuality for the sake of being nice.

16.7 You and Your Team can Both Win!

As mentioned earlier, the team-individual relationship works both ways. Not only do your project and your organization benefit from your performance, but you yourself reap the rewards of a successful team experience. Let us discuss some ways in which you can benefit from being part of victorious team.

You are rewarded for your contributions to your team: Your rewards, such as performance bonuses and pay hikes, depend not only on your individual performance but also on your team’s success. Thus, the extra mile that everyone in your team goes adds up to a nice bonanza. And on top of such tangible rewards, there are always the adulation and recognition that you receive around your workplace.

You manage risks better: Because your group’s future and your organization’s fortunes ride on your performance and decisions, you become conservative and manage your risks better. Also, someone in your team keeps an eye on your work, and so you might become less prone to errors.

You learn from others: When working in a team, especially in a cross-functional team, you learn a lot from others and get trained in new areas. You develop sensitivity to other functions in your organization and can pick up a lot of soft skills from the others around you. Some senior colleagues can come up with their own ‘war stories’ detailing their past experiences, and you can also learn important lessons from them.

You develop a feeling of self-actualization: Working in a team often increases your confidence level and gives you a sense of being an important employee of your organization, thrust with an important responsibility. Along with this comes a feeling of ownership and what psychologists call self-actualization.

You learn to communicate better: When communicating with your team members and other stakeholders, you pick up a lot of communication skills—right from composing that effective email to writing that perfect report. Your verbal communication and presentation skills also improve.

You get feedback, help and mentoring: Your team members can give you excellent and timely feedback about your performance on various fronts, all the way from your technical side to your personal side. And you have the entire team to help you if you ever get stuck in something or just need an extra hand. Some senior members of your team can even mentor you and encourage your efforts.

16.8 In Summary

There are very few one-man armies left in the world today. Summing up what we have seen in this chapter:

• Organizations prefer to have teams because they offer them a lot of advantages.
• You should find out why your team is set up in the first place. Learn about the structure, goals, shared vision and composition of your team.
• Modern teams differ from traditional ones in many ways.
• Modern teams need ‘chemistry’ to make them cohesive. Even though the term ‘team chemistry’ is hard to quantify and explain, a lot of its components can be identified.
• You should understand your role and the roles of the other members of your team.
• You should network, build relationships and learn to socialize.
• You should be sensitive to team members from other cultures and from across the world.
• You should empathize with the other members of your team even if you disagree with them.
• You should celebrate your team’s successes.
• Even one or two team members with bad attitudes can weaken and destroy a team. Watch out for such situations.
• You should not take project-related arguments as personal insults. Play down your ego.
• You should not have a ‘I win, you lose’ kind of attitude.
• You should communicate extensively with your team members as well as other stakeholders.
• Not only does your team benefit from you, but you also reap rewards upon the successful completion of your project.
• Modern organizations typically reward your teamwork in two ways. First, for being a part of a successful team. And second, for your individual contribution relative to the contributions of the other members of your team.
• Teamwork is a great opportunity to get nice feedback about yourself. Sometimes, senior colleagues in your team can even mentor you.