Let’s discuss the importance of cooperating as a team in the workplace and how it can be beneficial to getting the job done quickly and efficiently.
Teamwork, collaboration, partnership; possessing the skills to work as a team is essential to any job in any work place. A project cannot get done without the skills it takes to work as a team; everyone contributes their own talents and abilities. Why? Because no one can do everything all at once. Understanding the importance of teamwork and implementing collaborative strategies will set your business up for success. Let's discuss the importance of cooperating as a team in the workplace and how it can be beneficial to getting the job done quickly and efficiently.
In any workplace, a project requires steps. In a marketing agency, for example, the steps are as follows:
- The customer places an order
- We write up a quote and send it to the customer
- The customer approves the quote and asks for design options
- Designs are made and sent to the customer
- The customer approves or asks for changes
- Once approved, the design goes to print
- Once printed, the customer receives notification that the product is finished
- The customer picks up said product and pays for the labor and materials
Teamwork is required to complete these steps because each employee will contribute to a different part of the process. In the example above, the customer first places the order and then receives a quote. This is done through the VP of sales. Once the customer has approved the quote, they then speak with the graphic designer about ideas and options. The designer works with the customer until he/she approves the final design. The design then goes to print which will be completed by the production manager. Once the project is finished printing and finishing touches are added, the production manager then gives the final product back to the VP of sales who informs the customer of the completed project.
Without collaboration skills, this process would not work. There needs to be proper direction and communication between team members. A miscommunication will lead to mistakes and result in the company losing time and money. Each employee will need to have problem-solving skills; how can we get this done efficiently within the allotted time? Team members should understand how to use their time wisely; the customer will always have a deadline in mind, even if they don’t say so. Among all other skills, there should be trust between team members; each person has a job to do and they must be able to trust that their fellow employees can do their part.
Possessing such skills as mentioned above will allow the process of starting and completing a project to flow nicely through each department. Employees should have a solid understanding of the step by step process and their role in it. In my very first graphic design job, no one explained this step by step process to me and so most of the time I was lost. Who do I send this to next; the job is complete, do I call the customer or does someone else; I have a problem, who can solve it? When teamwork fails, the flow stops and becomes confusing and misguided. Allowing everyone to understand who does what will make building a team in the office much easier. It will also make the process more efficient, because the steps are clearly laid out.
Teamwork Tip:
An application we use to promote teamwork is Asana. It’s a place where projects can be posted and collaborators can be added. It’s a great way to understand who is doing what for each project.
Teamwork will also promote growth and creativity. The step by step process might engage employees to ask how it could be more efficient or how could each person step up their game to minimize mistakes and miscommunication. Each project provides a new opportunity to make the teamwork process better which in turn can save time and money for not only the company, but also the customer. Team members should remember that each person plays their part, but they are all working toward one goal: making the customer happy.
In conclusion, teamwork is not just a passive idea, it is essential to all businesses. The workplace should be a collaborative space in which co-workers can trust each other to do their own part. An environment that requires teamwork fosters growth and creativity as well as camaraderie among co-workers. Help your team become stronger by promoting problem-solving and communication skills. Overall, teamwork is an important part of any successful company. Happy collaborating!
Resources:
Wooll, Maggie. “The importance of teamwork for agility at work.” BetterUp, 25 Oct 2021, https://www.betterup.com/blog/importance-of-teamwork#:~:text=Teamwork%20in%20the%20workplace%20means,on%20getting%20the%20job%20done. Accessed on 25 Oct 2022.