Three Reasons Why Teamwork Makes Life and Work an Easier, and a More Rewarding Game.

Getting along with others can be difficult at times, even ‘painful’ depending on what you are trying to do. We all have different methods for getting things done, we all work at different speeds, and WILL have different philosophies about what needs to be done. That’s all part of dealing with people.

Working as a team, whether it is a family unit, a sports team, a business organization, or a country makes us all much more productive. As a coherent, working team with would have an opportunity to use various specialties and skills. We can hold each other accountable, and provide feedback on what is wrong and what is right. We can learn from each other and make our work better.

There are of course many ways in which teamwork makes life and work easier and more rewarding. I have found that the following have the greatest impact.

Frees Us Up to Get Better Work Done More Often

Working alone on a project is great, you get to produce something amazing, and you get to do it how you want to get it done. However, when you are working as part of a team you might not have those luxuries. But there are a lot more benefits.

Working on a team can be frustrating at first, you might ‘Butt Heads’ when trying to figure out just who is going to do what and how. After this period of conflict, and after you figure your stuff out, the team will discover that it can accomplish a lot more than it could as individuals.

Successful teams produce more because they can tap into that magic that creates success, collective resources! Working on a project by yourself means that you only have YOUR SKILLS, and YOUR KNOWLEDGE to get the job done. Working on a team you get the advantage of; multiple skill bases, multiple viewpoints, and multiple hands in the mix to get the job done faster. Sure, that means that there might be more of a chance for mistakes, but when you have more eyes on the project, your more likely to catch them before they become serious.

There are three questions that your group must ask itself if it is going to get better work done, and more often;

1. Am I On the Team for Myself, or Am I In It For The Team?

It is important that everyone on the team realize that they are a ‘Team’. It is fine to know that you are the best at what you do and that you might, in fact, be indispensable to the team. But if that means that distracts you from the goal of the team to further your own ends (Glory, Recognition, Money…), then you should not be there.

Primadonnas can be great! They can be entertaining, they can even serve as a ‘Rallying Point’ for the team. But they often can serve as a distraction, especially when they start serving their own egos and end goals. It is up to the team leaders to ‘reign them in’ and make sure that the ‘primadonna’ is contributing to and serving the team and not themselves.

2. Do I Know the Goal of The Team?

Team leaders should make sure that everyone on the team knows the ‘end goal’ for the team. It is kind of difficult to accomplish a task, or reach a goal, without knowing the; Why? What? Where? When? And How? Sure, you might not need to know every little detail (you might not want to know), but you should be aware of the pertinent information. Be aware of; why is this goal important? What is the ‘end goal’ of the team? Where is my position on the team? When will this goal be reached? How are we going to get to the goal?

If you are unaware of the goal of the team, then you might want to ask and make yourself aware or leave the team.

3. Am I A Good Fit For The Team? Is The Team Benefiting From My Being There?

Ok, so this one is two questions, but they contribute to a single outcome. Production.

We all enjoy working with people with similar; working styles, attitudes and motivations. But do these working styles work together and is the team benefiting from them. If these working styles mesh and produce excellent work…. great! If they do not, then it is up to you and your team’s leadership to figure out if there is another position on the team that you might work better in. You might work better on a different team, and you must accept that for the good of the team.

Builds Morale and Gives Us Confidence

Human beings, for the most part, are very social creatures. We take great comfort in being part of a group, whether it is a small group (team or a family) or a large group. And creates confidence in us when we can contribute to the betterment of that group or team. (Bushak, 2015) It builds self-esteem knowing that we have done something that will have a lasting impact on an organization or group.

It also builds morale in us individually and as a group knowing that we have the group’s support. When we know that someone has ‘our back’ we feel more secure with being creative, going outside of our ‘comfort zone’. In other words, innovating!

People who feel secure and valued are more likely to contribute their best work and more of it.

Makes Learning Easier and Happen More Often

Learning is one of the things that we do most as human beings. We are busy learning every waking moment of every day, whether we realize it or not. Our brains are constantly taking in information, updating information, and using that information. When do we learn the most? When we are working/playing/creating with others!

Would you rather have things told too you, or would you rather discuss and debate them with your teammates? Discussing topics with friends and coworkers make them more pliable and easier to understand for us and the group.

Learning with a team is often more successful because:

• Constant Reinforcement

Learning in a team environment means that you can discuss and debate the facts with your friends and colleagues. This ‘repetition’ provides constant reinforcement of those facts in your memory, which means they are more likely to ‘stick’.

• Feedback Works

When we are learning, we need some kind of feedback. We need the ability to assess ourselves and the direction our learning is going. Groups and teams provide that feedback. Sure, we could assess our own work and learning direction, but that is usually unreliable subjective self-feedback. Our teams/groups can provide that objective feedback on our progress that we need.

Successful teams depend on leadership. It could be someone who just happens to take on the mantle of ‘Leader’, or maybe someone who is decided will be the ‘Leader’ or the group could provide mutual direction amongst itself. Leadership is critical.

Leadership should be there to guide and direct talent, not ‘badger’ and micromanage. Micromanagers usually elicit self-doubt and frustration from groups. This is usually because the members of the group know what they are supposed to be doing, but the leadership keeps putting their ‘two-cents’ in any way.

Team leaders should be collaborative, willing to listen to, work with and learn from team members. This should go for the entire team, you never know what you are going to learn from your team, so be open to anything and everything!

I am interested in starting a conversation about teamwork and its benefits. Please feel free to comment!

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Bushak, L. (2015, June 16). Joining A Group Boosts Confidence And Self-Esteem Even More Than Having Friends. Retrieved from Medical Daily: http://www.medicaldaily.com/joining-group-boosts-confidence-and-self-esteem-even-more-having-friends-338534

 

Why Playing The ‘Short Game’ Almost Always Leaves You Short

         The Short Game, in sports this often means ‘playing it safe’, by making the short pass, or by taking the closer easier shot…..sure, by playing this way you’ll make progress, but the chance of hitting that ‘Home Run’ are all that more remote. In order to make real, and amazing progress you eventually have to take risks; on both the things you do and the people you trust (in both sports and business).

We as human beings like to play it safe; it makes us feel secure to keep OUR ducks in a row and not take risks by sharing ourselves and what we have. We have our own little social network that we only feel that we can open up to and allow access to our resources. We want to play that short ‘safe’ game because we know what the results will be, and we know that our network will reap gains from it. This reaches back to ‘caveman times’ when we huddled in our social units; not communicating, not sharing, not TRUSTING in the abilities and awareness of others. Only when we as humans began this process of reaching out did we begin the process of emotional, technological, and social evolution.

It is extremely important that we as a people are able to reach out to others, and expand our knowledge base…..otherwise, we are stuck in our own little world, knowing the same things about the same stuff, and not learning anything (evolving)! Imagine if we never really ‘tried’, if we saw that next mountain and never asked “what is over on the other side?” If we never took the risk to find out! We would still be a people huddled in caves, with no hope for change. https://hbr.org/2013/10/the-hidden-dangers-of-playing-it-safe

Only by playing The Long Game, by taking risks, by being patient, by communicating (with everyone), by sharing, by seeing the ‘Big Picture’ from multiple viewpoints do we achieve tremendous gains on all fronts! That is, after all, one of the main reasons why we are here, isn’t it? To achieve. We are here to be the best people we can be, to create the best product possible, to take care of each other so that we can succeed as a species!

Teamwork has been the human method of survival for many thousands of years, depending on our ‘human team’ for resources and assistance, and like it or not……we are all on the same team, supposedly playing the same ‘game’ (unfortunately not all by the same rules).

There are a number of key aspects to playing The Long Game that makes it easier to not drop the ball. It’s might not be easy for some of us, but it is well worth the effort.

• Shut Up and Listen – Just remember that you don’t know everything! We all know something about something and are experts in our own area(s). The person that you least expect might be able to contribute an idea or resource that could change your; life, business, social standing, or even attitude towards all of the above. You don’t know what someone is going to contribute, so why not give them the chance to voice their opinion or idea(s)? If what they have to say, or for that matter what they can do, doesn’t fit in with what you are trying to accomplish, fine. You haven’t really lost much other than a few minutes of your time, but you have gained the knowledge of what that person is capable of, and what that person knows (and that is GOLDEN). Don’t forget to voice your opinions too, let the group know what you need…..you never know who or what someone else knows! Knowledge is Power!
• Give Credit Where It Is Due – When you do something great (or even mediocre) don’t you want to be recognized for doing it? Sure, we all do. When someone puts effort into doing ANYTHING they want some sort of recognition for doing it, it’s only human to expect this. You don’t necessarily have to throw a party every time the garbage is taken out or every time someone clears a paper jam, but if you want people to keep doing things for you, it is really important to at least give them a ‘pat on the back’ or a “thank you”. Besides, it actually feels good to offer someone recognition, you both get a rush of Oxytocin (one of those ‘feel good’ hormones) and this will make you both want to do it again (this actually gives people further incentive to do an even BETTER job more and more often). http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2012/04/30/how-the-trust-molecule-drives-business-performance/#7e2b12ec2f13
• Don’t Think ‘You’re All That’ – Sure, it’s great to realize that you are awesome at what you do and that you get things done the way they need to be done! BUT, just remember that somewhere out there is someone who might just do what you do better than you. People like working with people who are humble. When a member of a group expounds on their abilities and accomplishments (especially a group leader), this often overshadows the others and makes less of the group’s successes. Don’t worry, people will recognize your achievements and abilities for what they are; the important thing is the accomplishments of the group. Don’t Make it About You, Make It About The Team! Confidence is Infectious!
• Be Patient – Remember the old saying “Good things happen to those who wait“, it’s actually true! By being patient and taking your time in what you are doing will reap you more rewards than rushing and making a mess of things. By taking your time, by setting achievable deadlines, and by allowing others to keep pace, you will avoid;
  • Mistakes – This one speaks for itself. When we rush, we forget steps, we miss key elements, and just generally make a mess.
  • Missed opportunities – Very often opportunities will present themselves to add to a project or task, or actually improve on what you are doing. But, if you are rushing you might miss those opportunities.
  • Not allowing your job or project to achieve true fruition – Often a project or task requires time and thought to allow it to be completed to its maximum effect (to allow for greater success). By rushing, you might miss out on the maximum return-on-investment (ROI).
• Play Fair – No one likes a cheat! By playing by the rules you level the playing field, allowing everyone to work together better….remember, teamwork! By not playing fair, this causes three things (or more) that are extremely disruptive to the idea of teamwork:
  1. Kills Trust – When was the last time you trusted someone who didn’t play by the rules? I would imagine probably never. Sure it might somehow feel good knowing that you have the upper-hand and every advantage in the book, but it doesn’t feel so good to everyone else who has to work and play with you! People want to trust that their co-workers and friends can achieve through their own skills and abilities, and not by skirting the rules.
  2. Causes Confusion – When someone is playing by a different set of rules than the rest of the team, people are either going to; butt heads, or not know what is exactly going on! We humans don’t really like confusion (sometimes it can be fun, but not when important stuff is on the line), we as a species like to know what we have to do, when it needs to be done, and how we can go about doing it. When confusion comes into the picture (especially in business, most of us spend a lot of time trying to figure out why or how something different is happening, rather than focusing on the task that needs doing).
  3. How Do You Want To Be Remembered – Would you rather be remembered as someone who got things done the wrong way, or as someone who achieved something great the correct way? This is something that we all should ask ourselves when we are trying to accomplish something. Most of us would like to be remembered as someone who has the skill to get this done properly. The group should be able to be remembered for what they got done, and how they ALL worked together to complete the job…that is true GREATNESS! You Can’t Take It With You, But Actions Last!
• And, Give Back – Always remember to share in the spoils of victory (or any other accomplishment). You wouldn’t be where you are today without your friends, family, and co-workers. From the CEO down to the janitorial staff, all of them contributed to where you and your company are today (or they have the potential to contribute). By making everyone feel like they are part of the social group/team they will want to do great things and contribute to the continued success of the group!

Sometimes you have to play The Short Game in order to get things done (when there is a time crunch or an emergency), it’s fine to shift into that mode for the ‘short term’. Never forget the big picture, that the only way to make the really big and profitable advances is to invest in people and utilize their skills and abilities.

True, there are those out there who exclusively play The Short Game; they see the short-term vision and don’t take true risks on people and work, and they do achieve some level of financial and social gain. But fortunately, there are people out there with true vision, with patience, who are willing to take risks on people and resources to achieve amazing gains…..true leaders!

Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, What?

“What is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, and what do they do?” This is very often the response I get when people hear the term. This is very understandable, because the title itself is quite a mouthful. Very simply (and this is an oversimplification) I/O Psychologists ‘Make sure that employees work better, and make sure that work is better for people’. They are Work Psychologists, and they are actually indispensable in a modern workforce.
So…..how can these ‘I/O People’ help me and my organization you may ask? Well, there are a multitude of ways of leveraging an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist’s skills and abilities. Here are three of the most important ways that an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist can turn your organization into a well-oiled machine!
1. Succession Planning – Industrial/Organizational Psychologists excel at looking for problems within an organization and its personnel, and well as looking at strengths and abilities. When someone is ready to leave the company, the organizational psychologist can often see this ahead of time and make sure you are prepared for it, with someone who can stand out at the position. This is critical in a time when turnover potential is so high, and when the ability to be competitive requires having the right people in the right positions.
2. Training and Learning Development – As technology and innovation advance in business and society today, it is important for businesses to ‘keep up’ and advance as well. The Industrial/Organizational Psychologist is there……with an understanding of adult learning dynamics and motivational needs, these professionals are adept at making sure that your organization’s staff understands these advancements, and how to use their skills and abilities to creatively innovate with them.
3. Team Development – Creating a coherent, functioning team is not always an easy task, an I/O Psychologist can make this a bit more straightforward. With an in-depth understanding of motivations and interactions they can spot troubling signs, and determine the best way to avoid escalation and to foster improvement. The Industrial/Organization Psychologist can also assist in laying-out plans for developing new teams and organizing them into innovation dynamos!
There are of course many other aspects of the Industrial/Organizational Psychologist’s skill set that can be of use to both corporate and social professionals alike. These however are the key abilities that all the others feed off of.