Develop Teamwork in the Workplace

Why is there such a lack of teamwork in the workplace in the majority of most businesses?


In many situations it’s taken for granted that work and fun cannot coexist. Most executives have never existed in a workplace where teamwork was the rule rather than the exception.

The fact is, people are scared of moving out of their comfort zone into a cooperative workplace. There seems to be two major reasons for their fear:

1. People valuesecurity over happiness in their workplace.They’re willing to sacrifice happiness and mental health forthe knowledge that they’ll have a job tomorrow. Securityseems to be the enemy of joy and teamwork. 
2. Peopledislike change, and teamwork is big change. This is thelogical result of the fact that security is represented by a stable,non-changing workplace.

Teamwork is fundamental to human nature. It is lectured about in MBA courses, preached about at church, we expect it in our sports teams, so why does it happen so rarely in our working life? The life we spend most of our waking hours pursuing?

Why is there such a fundamental chasm between our work and our home - between our work and our happiness?

Given the fact that humans as intelligent beings, given the ability to reason, make decisions, act upon them, and deal with the consequences, why do you think there’s such a profound lack of teamwork in the workplace?

Especially when the benefits of working together are clear, what’s holding people back?

Here a few ideas on how to foster teamwork in your organization

Fear Undermines Teamwork

We have met the enemy and he is us. Pogo

Most business organizations operate in a manner that fundamentally conflicts with human nature. Sure we are all individuals, but we all shared certain important characteristics.

In business however, the conflict almost always comes when our shared characteristics conflict with the company’s or team’s bottom line. In an organization designed like this it’s almost always the individual who gets thrown under the bus, to protect the bottom line or the shareholders. In many ways our shared vision of a teamwork in the workplace is just a pipedream.

So how do we protect the bottom line and the individual? By designing a team that works well together and operates upon proven principles that protect both the endeavor and the people working toward it. A team that performs their tasks with creativity, purpose and meaning.

The same core characteristics and principles that build great organizations are integral to building teamwork in the workplace, regardless of your team's size.

People want and revel in responsibility when it is given to the with trust. The fact is, people want a say over their destiny and the outcome of their work. They want to contribute to the betterment of the team. They want to own the skills that get the job done right. Are your people learning those skills?

Many people might say: “Doesn’t all that responsibility cause too much stress?” When the fact is: debilitating stress only comes from a person’s inability to control the outcome of a certain situation. Hopelessness is real stress.

To build an environment of workplace teamwork, you must “let go and let God” as the old saying goes. It’s important to give your team the skills to cope and perform in difficult situations, and the confidence that they have your trust to succeed. . . or fail. And they will.

Failure is an Integral Part of Success

Why?

• It gives us needed feedback. 
• It teaches people how to win.

Individuals, regardless of their position within the company, want to feel important and to be confident in their unique talents and abilities. They want to be trusted with important tasks and situations, and to be responsible for the outcome.

That is the core of building teamwork in the workplace.

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