Teamwork is the ability to recognize the complexities of a task and identifying a group of individuals with the mix of talents needed to work harmoniously towards the achievement of that task. Teamwork as a business model is gaining a lot of support in managing a business organization, especially in making effective sales team.
It helps the team to share knowledge and experience. Effective sales teams are realized, when employees meet on regular basis to discuss progress while identifying problems encountered. The solutions to these problems are sort from within the team, thus enhancing teamwork (Gould para 2). This consultation is also important, as each team member is part of decision-making.
This makes the achievement of group task easier. Teams are also important as they help organizations avoid duplication of roles by partnering people. Teams also help a company to work within its budget to achieve its objective, as each member has several targets therefore reaching a wider client base.
However, it has been noted that it is very difficult to implement teams. This is so when a sales team leader directly supervises the team and rewards team members individually, thus encouraging competition rather than collaboration. Teamwork also hinders opportunities for individual success where the organization rewards the whole group.
All recognition goes to the group rather than outstanding individuals thus no individual effort is recognized, rewarded and appraised. Some companies have self-regulating teams. Such freedom can hinder success, as there is limited evaluation and accountability of individual team members (Sorrow para 5).
Despite the challenges, teamwork achieves more in complicated task that needs combined skills and talents. Team members are also able to assist each other therefore reaching group objectives easily.
What differences are apparent in how these two organizations approach Teamwork? How would these differences impact team effectiveness?
The two organizations have adopted different approaches to teamwork in the following manner. The electrical supplier partners two people who work together at a specific task. This encourages team members to help each other in accomplishing the task. There are no individual roles for individual team members, thus team partners must work together until a task is accomplished. On the other hand, the radio sales team has five members.
Every member has own sale accounts they manage. While the sales team at the radio station has very limited supervision and consults the senior manager only when deciding on matters that would affect the entire radio station, the electrical supplier team works under the lead sales engineer, who oversees the implementation of sales efforts. The self-regulation of the sales team at the radio station ensures that each individual makes own decisions that only affect their accounts. Sharing of responsibilities is kept to a minimum.
However, teamwork is enhanced during weekly meetings when members share challenges, and solutions are sort from within the group. These weekly meetings help individual team members make decisions in managing individual accounts. At the electrical supplier, teamwork effectiveness is the responsibility of the lead sale engineer as each individual is inclined towards individual achievement rather than teamwork.
Rewarding of individual success at the electrical supplier hampers teamwork thus the difficulty in its implementation. In contrast, rewarding the entire team enhances teamwork. Progress at the radio station is the responsibility of every member, who must account to the group on weekly basis. At the electrical supplier, teamwork is less effective because the lead sales engineer manages individuals inclined towards competing with each other, rather than collaboration.
Works Cited
Gould, Rennie. “Is Teamwork in Sales Important?” EzineArticles. 2000. Web.
Sorrow, Matthew. “Team Work – Advantages and Disadvantages” EzineArticles. 2000. Web.