Everyone agrees that teamwork is a positive thing. Leaders are drawn to teams. The majority of people for the of them, believe in the importance and function of teams . . .
Each of us is more intelligent than any of us.
1 + 1 = 3
. . . are two phrases that confirm and demonstrate how widespread our faith that we are part of a team.
This belief is based on fact.
Sometimes.
There are many occasions in our church or civic groups, as well as in professional organizations and businesses, where we require groups of people working on a project. Sometimes, we’d be better off working without a team by having individuals contribute in their own way.
What?
Is a team not there?
You got it.
Not the kind of team that you think of when you imagine the word “team.
Two basic types of teams
To simplify things, I believe that there are two main kinds of teams. Basketball teams are one, and there are track and field teams.
Basketball Teams
Basketball teams (or hockey or soccer) can be described as teams that demand because of their work to play together as a team. On teams playing these sports, players are dependent. Anytime during a game, to succeed, the whole team has to work together. The role each player plays is determined by their role (which considers their strengths as well as acquired capabilities). But, the circumstances in any given moment, in the course of playing, may call for every player to assume any part.
On teams that are successful such as this, the players are all open to change, assist in a variety of roles, and “do what it takes.” Because they understand that without teamwork, they won’t be able to reach their goals as a team for success, because of its nature, the sport demands collaboration among team members.
Track and Field Team
The track and field teams, on the other hand (except in some relay events), are not interdependent; they are separate. Shot putters have a particular skill set that is mostly unrelated to sprinters. High jumpers can be skilled and effective without any real assistance or encouragement from distance runners.
The day (or meet) will end. Day (or meeting) the team will win if all participants perform well. If a sufficient number of participants win, the entire team will prevail. The most successful teams will be made up of highly skilled individuals who work with each other to achieve their shared aim of winning. This way, they certainly are a group. They might feel a sense of loyalty towards the team. They may feel satisfaction in being a participant in the community. They are all eager to succeed. They realize that they will succeed more when everyone is successful. They may share a common purpose (to beat the competition or win the championship). But the basic relationship between players isn’t as strong as it is with the basketball team.
What does this mean for us?
In our workplaces, we likely have both kinds of teams. Teams work within a process flow project in which the outputs of one individual directly impact those of the next where work and team members are highly interdependent.
There are teams that look a lot like that of track and field teams. In these teams, the participants have a shared objective and mission, but their activities don’t cross paths in the same way as the highly interdependent teams.
Fair enough, you say.
In my observation, we expect all teams to think they’re basketball teams; if your work or project requires that you focus on this on interdependence, then great. However, if you’re part of an athletic track and field (independent) team and you do not require the same emphasis on interdependence as well as the traditional “team-building” activities.
How Do We Do Now?
If you are a leader of a team or form teams, or simply a part of a group, you should consider and discuss the differentiator. Find out within the group (or the team in the future) which kind of team you belong to. When you have a consensus regarding the kind of team you’re part of, you are able to establish the appropriate kinds of expectations for one another as well as for you. You can develop more suitable strategies for development, training, and building a team.
Knowing the type of team your project demands is the initial step to help that group of people becomes more successful and to ensure that the work is completed successfully.
Perhaps it’s not really, “to a team or not to team? “but “which type of team?”
. . . This is the issue.
Find the answer first. Then, using your answer to serve as a reference, take note of how your teams succeed.
