Business Teamwork Is Everybody’s Game

Sports teams build their ability to compete on the strengths of each player. Take the game of football. For the most part, the coach designs and calls the plays. The quarterback, the center, ends, linemen and defenders all have specific jobs. Each time one of the players doesn't complete an assigned task, it makes it more difficult for the rest of the team to meet its goals.

Business teamwork acts much the same way. The manager is the coach, and each employee has an assigned task. When all members of the team complete their assigned tasks, it helps the business achieve its objectives. When someone fails to do his or her task, it can impede the entire team. It won't do much good for marketing professionals to sell products if those in manufacturing never finish building the products. Each and every person from every department needs to do his or her job, and they need to do it well, or the entire team suffers as a result.

The major difference between sports teamwork and business teamwork is that business isn't a winner take all proposition. While in football, the winner gets the glory and the loser goes home, every business can still be a winner even if it isn't the strongest business on the block - all you need are profits.
For teams to be successful, they must rely on trust. Some of the worst business situations involve petty jealousies and backstabbing to get a leg up on coworkers. There are several things managers can do to get past petty bickering and jealousy. A few suggestions include:

1) Encourage open and honest communication within the organization.
2) Have fun together with dinners, parties and other social gatherings outside the regular workaday routine.
3) Award employee innovation openly.
4) Give praise to workers in front of others.
5) Promote comradeship and solidarity both at work and during meetings.
6) Form groups and assign them tasks they can work together on.

Some employees are naturally more open and talkative than others. You can involve each employee in discussions by using brainstorming sessions and asking each person in turn for idea input. Often, the quietest employees have some of the best ideas.
Business teamwork isn't something that simply appears without any output of effort. Real teamwork can take time for success. Remember that building trust is one of the most important aspects of team building. Without trust and without real concern for other team members, no team will ever reach its full potential.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.