Teamwork is defined as the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal, or to complete a task in the most resourceful way — be it in school or the workforce.
Faustin Mutabazi, an education enthusiast and entrepreneur in Kigali, says when people collaborate, the results are often better than when one works alone.
For this reason, he says, it’s vital for people to work as a team in their respective spaces.
To effectively solve problems or challenges, Mutabazi says teamwork is required.
For instance, he says, when it comes to students, they should be able to work effectively in groups, as leaders and team members, to solve problems and interact productively.
"As team members, students should learn to work towards a common goal, support teammates, and collaborate on the development of a group plan,” he says.
And if it’s for an organisation, the educator notes, team members should be able to achieve a shared vision, provide productive ideas and feedback, carry out specific assignments, and trust other team members to do the same.
What to do
Dr Opiyo Andala, the dean of School of Education at Mount Kenya University, says as a team leader, one should be able to provide a clear direction for the team, encourage team contributions, and synthesise individual contributions into a complete product.
He notes that being a team leader means that individuals can be able to resolve conflicts, inspire team members, and drive for results.
Andala says team experiences should be structured so that all students or employees have the opportunity to develop both leadership and team skills.
Importance
Studies indicate that the importance of teamwork in the workplace is demonstrated by feelings of unity, collaboration, and motivation.
And that an effective team works as a collective unit by utilising the skills and talents of each team member to support and achieve a common goal.
An effective team works as a collective unit by utilising the skills of each team member to achieve a common goal. Net photo.
According to Andala, effective teams will influence strong working relationships which in turn promote better results that will inspire fresh ideas.
Andala says the case is different if it’s just an individual. He explains that one employee can only think from the perspective they have grown accustomed to. However, for a team, the possibilities of getting different viewpoints to solve a common problem are high.
Mutabazi says teamwork promotes maximising the exchange of knowledge and ideas. It, in turn, helps individual team members to learn new skills and gain better experience.
Instead of looking at an issue from an individual viewpoint, he says, one gets to understand the overall picture. This leads to an exponential increase in new ideas.
Additionally, Mutabazi notes, when people work alone, the enthusiasm to innovate may be diminished along the way.
However, when part of a team, the sense of collaboration and accountability makes employees consistently bring forward their best work.
Besides, it is said that working as a team combines individual skill sets in employees’ work-life. They will shine in some areas and fall short in others. However, another employee may be skilled in the very same area.
Andala says to work together as a team means to rely on each other to bring individual strengths to the group.
Research shows that a capable team is nothing more than a group of people who complement each other.
An employee working alone feels better about sticking to safer options. While he/she will play by the rules, the sense of innovation will most likely suffer.
However, Andala notes that when part of a good team, an employee feels more confident and secure to take the risks that come with work and tasks ahead of them.
He goes on to add that when people work with an effective team, they know that they have the necessary brainpower to look for different solutions.
This, he says, enables them to ‘think outside the box’ and come up with fresh ideas and innovations in their respective working environments.