Wouldn’t that be nice! Just having fun working together with people that never nag, always look for constructive solutions and really enjoy getting to work. Well, unfortunately that is not how it usually, or at least not always goes. When people are working together there are multiple perspectives, various ways of working, different wishes and needs and irritations.
The universities of Utrecht and Heidelberg published (all the way back, in 2000) results on a joint study about working in teams. This was one of their key findings:
Team-members of organizations where working in teams was introduced throughout all the organization were, after 10 years, compared to professionals - working alone - doing a similar job:
- Less productive
- Sick more often
- Less innovative
Indeed, you could say: working in teams does not necessarily mean that it adds any value. Nonetheless, a team really can be more productive, innovative and healthier. It is important to realize that this result is not just guaranteed. It requires conscious team-development and team-members that understand each other. To keep a team on a productive and healthy level is an art in itself. However, it is an art that is definitely possible to acquire and a competence that always needs further development.
Our xpand leadership academy offers team-leaders an intensive and practically oriented training for leading teams. You are most welcome to join and participate. For more information please contact: info-sa@xpand.eu.
5 Team-competences that every team-member needs in order for the team to work together positively and effectively:
1. Listening competences
Without active and conscious listening, the possibility of a dialogue is lost and the team is going to remain on the level of endless and pointless discussions.
2. Self-reflection
Every member of a team has to know and accept his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Only then he or she is able to be complemented by the others and to complement them in their weaknesses.
3. Respect
A team reaches its heights when there is a culture of open and honest appreciation. A culture that only comes about if the team-members respect themselves and each other.
4. Assertiveness
Next to the before mentioned social competences, it is important that the team-members give their own opinion and feel like their own ideas and wants are taken serious. Knowing and realizing your own priorities is a precondition to working effective and successfully.
5. Conflict-competence
Working together always includes certain irritations and conflicts. To avoid them is not only impossible, but trying to avoid them is not the right solution as well. Conflicts are important for the growth of a team into the next levels of professionalism. That is, if the team-members have a well developed conflict-competence. They have to be able to solve conflicts quickly, adequately, openly and fairly.
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