The benefits of teamwork can be investigated from an organisational and an individual’s perspective. From an organisational perspective, members of the team can benefit from each other’s experiences to increase standard of work. If the team consists of a diverse range of experience, then newer members can learn from the experienced members and equally experienced members can benefit from the fresh ideas that new staff can bring.
Another advantage that team work can bring is that all the accountability for completion and achievement is carried by the whole team and not solely by one person. When ownership of the whole task is accepted by a team then the risks of making mistakes are reduced.
From an individual’s perspective, working in unison allows colleagues to share ideas, provide support and motivation and reduces the likelihood of being overworked and stressed. Working individually has other potentially negative implications, including becoming overprotective of their work and increasing task completion time unnecessarily. Additional contributors can reduce the time it takes to complete a task while not compromising on standard of work.
An element of healthy competition appears to be apparent between teams working in sync. Teamwork can also be an important platform for building job satisfaction for individual team members. It is important for motivation, improved performance and workplace enthusiasm.
Establishing common values and a shared sense of purpose will enable team leaders to create a working environment that makes the whole team want to be part of that success. Fostering teamwork in a company or any organisation is fundamental to success and productivity levels.
For decades, leaders have recognised the added value that comes from working in teams. An interesting concept and extended form of the word team is:
Leaders who nurture a cohesive team environment witness their teams generating more productivity and offering a greater return on investment than if working independently.