Introduction
Teamwork is an integral part of human life at all stages of development. It is needed for education, work, and other areas of life. Two new concepts, triggers and cultural competence, have recently been applied to teamwork. These two essential concepts in modern society are inextricably linked with teamwork.
Triggers and Hot Buttons
Triggers and hot buttons are an integral part of human life and being a person in society. At some point, people are all subject to the effects of triggers, trivia, or people that seemingly flip the switch on to fight-or-flight reactions (Bushardt, 2017). As a team leader, one can helpfully use teammates’ triggers. For example, raising the tone in a dispute is necessary, but the team speaker is relatively gentle. With the help of a trigger, which can be anything, one can warm up a team member, thereby increasing efficiency.
Cultural Competence
Cultural competence is one of the necessary parameters for the full functioning of any team. A lack of cultural competence can lead to unforeseen conflicts between an organization’s employees and the client or within the team (Olson et al., 2016). An example of a lack of cultural competence is when one of the team members is Muslim, and another team member eats pork in front of him; this is insulting to the first team member, and the second team member does not even understand his mistake.
To increase cultural competence in the team, it is necessary to increase the number of mentions of cultures in everyday trivialities. One of the best solutions is to hang a calendar containing world holidays in the workplace. Such a simple action can cover employees’ ignorance about several cultures. For a more profound knowledge of cultures, one can attract employees who are direct representatives of a particular culture.
Conclusion
The role of a leader carries much responsibility, like using hot buttons for good purposes. Indeed, in some cases, using a trigger can cause mental harm to a teammate. A team whose members are aware of each other’s hot buttons and are culturally aware of each other will be able to bring much more value to the organization and show themselves as a more cohesive group.
References
Bushardt, R. L. (2017). Triggers. Journal of the American Academy of PAs, 30(11), 7-8. Web.
Olson, R., Bidewell, J., Dune, T., & Lessey, N. (2016). Developing cultural competence through self-reflection in interprofessional education: Findings from an Australian university. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 30(3), 347–354. Web.