In an epic teamwork failure, General Motors cost over 74 lives and lost $1.3 BILLION in Quarter 1 alone. The scary part is, a major teamwork failure like this could happen to any business. Don’t let your company go down in flames like GM has done; instead take action now to improve teamwork between team members at your organization.
Have you heard what stellar teamwork has been doing for the Los Angeles Kings? They’ve achieved what few sports teams have been able to in recent history – they’ve won their second National Hockey League championship in 3 years! Everyone knows that when it comes to sports, each player has a vital role in the team’s success. But, success can be fleeting. We all want major wins like that, but in today’s competitive work environment, the teamwork concept is a tough one for many to grasp.
“There’s no “I” in team.” – Bobby Nystrom (New York Islanders)
Create Wining Teams by Fostering “the Four Cs”
For a corporate team to achieve its goals, the team members must be:
- Competent
- Committed to the project
- Effectively communicative with each other
- Able to collaborate successfully
Of course, there will always be personality clashes and little battles waged, but once everyone is able to swim in the same direction, productivity increases and goals become realities.
Team members have to understand that they must rely on each other to get the job done. Whether they’re in a central location or separated by thousands of miles, team members have to forge the commitment necessary to complete their tasks. That commitment involves understanding and compassion in order to overcome the obstacles that could prevent the job from being completed.
Team members must display the competence necessary to tackle their assigned tasks. All members must focus completely on their assignments; however, they should not be afraid to ask for help if they need it. Concealing weakness leads to distrust, which can make the entire team’s foundation vulnerable. When in doubt, ask for help, because in the end this will strengthen the bonds of trust between team members.
Effective communication is the cornerstone of teamwork. If a team member is able to finish a task early, he or she should offer to pitch in where help is needed. This is especially important when all the team members are not together in one place. We’re fortunate that today’s technology allows us to communicate in a variety of ways, and we need to remember to use them.
The exchange of ideas fosters common ground between teammates. Brainstorming sessions yield better ways of accomplishing tasks and they give team members the opportunity to find out more about each other based on their personal and professional experiences. For example, working moms can bring superior organizational skills to teams, and other members who have specialized education or relevant life experiences can help others embrace new and exciting ideas they might not have thought of on their own.
Kickstart Team Wins by Investing in Your Team Members
When teams need an added boost in knowledge, confidence or winning attitude, online training is a perfect resource to offer team members. Training offerings help team members feel valued and important. Training gets team members excited about what they’re doing and the potential for their own career growth. Training offerings tell team members that they’re organizations believe in them and their capabilities. Team morale improves with the morale of its team members.
And online training is such an easy way to strengthen your teams and team members; it’s accessible to everyone, it’s cost-effective, and it’s cutting edge… especially appropriate for organizations looking to embrace the latest methods and techniques.
Don’t waste any more time wondering why team members don’t want to work well together. Instead, tell staff members they’re important by getting them trained. It’s super easy to get started too, just take a browse of our online marketplace, and once you and your staff have decided what courses work best for your organizational needs, then just check out through the easy online shopping cart.
