Introduction
Ross Tieman’s article considers the topic of teamwork. It includes the perspectives of many experts in the field who report their ideas on the challenges experienced by teams and appropriate solutions. The article notes that modern teams can include very diverse people who are often complete strangers. Tieman mentions the skills and activities that can make such teams work. The following key conclusions can be made based on the information from the article.
Main Challenges
Multiple challenges are identified in the article. First, the problem of rapid change is described: Tieman discusses the fact that in modern business, teams often face unique issues that were not encountered before (par. 3). The need for rapid change has resulted in a review of companies’ recruitment strategies, which can also be viewed as a challenge; after all, the testing of soft skills is described as difficult in the article (Tieman par. 14). The technological progress that allowed bringing together diverse groups has also produced a problem: it implies that literal strangers with very different backgrounds may need to work together in a team. Consequently, Tieman states that building communication between team members and helping them to achieve success can be truly problematic. Finally, the process of making a team work is described as a particularly complex challenge: it includes the difficulties related to role definition, objective setting, team leading, and so on. In summary, the article demonstrates that teamwork is associated with varied challenges that should be addressed.
Helping the Team
When considering the guidelines that I would follow to help my team, some of the advice from the article can be useful. The development of emotional intelligence (EI) seems to be important as a long-term solution; it is necessary for team members to advance their EI (Tieman par. 9). Similarly, collaboration skills are crucial (Sheard et al. 34-35; Tieman par. 10). The promotion of unified values can also be a solution, but it may be the job of the leader rather than team members (Hawkins 222; Tieman par. 11). However, team members can contribute by getting acquainted with such values and choosing the organizations that they can fit in based on their worldviews.
Furthermore, the idea of establishing specific roles for different members is necessary (Riddle et al. 78). However, Tieman shows that there are different perspectives on this idea. As a result, there is no unified solution to the issue; the identification of roles should suit the needs of each team. Also, the particular strengths and weaknesses of individual team members need to be taken into account when advising the roles; the former need to be employed, and the latter should be compensated. In this respect, the members should provide relevant information about their abilities to help the team leader.
Indeed, one role in the team is particularly significant: that of the leader. The leader is often concerned with the identification of objectives, which are unambiguously necessary for a team to fulfill its purpose (Banfield et al. 34-35). Leaders also typically need to monitor the team’s activities and ensure its productivity. The latter factor depends to a notable extent on clear objectives, appropriately chosen roles, and members’ motivation, which the leader can affect (Hartwig and Bird 107). However, every team member should facilitate the mentioned processes by being cooperative and offering all the necessary information to their leader.
In the end, the role of the leader is central, but the rest of the team should also work to ensure success. In summary, they need to develop their skills, especially those related to EI and teamwork, share the team’s values, use their strengths to the benefit of the team, and in general, work towards the common goal. I would follow these general guidelines to help my team to achieve success.
Works Cited
Banfield, Richard, et al. Product Leadership. O’reilly Media, Inc., 2017.
Hartwig, Ryan, and Warren Bird. Teams That Thrive. InterVarsity Press, 2015.
Hawkins, Peter. Leadership Team Coaching. Kogan Page Publishers, 2017.
Riddle, Douglas, et al. The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Coaching in Organizations. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
Sheard, Geoff, et al. Leadership Teams. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.
Tieman, Ross. “From Teamwork to Collaboration.”Financial Times. 2012, Web.