We all know that working as a coherent team can add extra value and impetus to a project.
Collaboration and delegation are two important facets of todays’ fast forward working environment.
But there are two challenges which can restrict the clear benefit of teamwork. The first is where colleagues have a very independent nature and prefer to work on their own. They may see collaboration as negative interference and disruptive: ‘I know what I’m doing. I don’t need help.’
The other challenge is managing the workflow to ensure the tasks are coordinated and cohesive. Ensuring, in other words, that two plus two does equal more than four.
And I will now add an additional dimension which is often omitted. I have based my coaching on the premise that we can categorize personalities into 4 distinct types: the Influencer, the Supporter, the Analyst and the Creative. I describe the individual traits and demarcations of the 4 types on the supposition that you may have read the descriptors in the Introduction of jobcoach.org.uk.
But in brief the Influencer type loves teamwork and will be a positive contributor. Equally the Supporter is a people person who will enjoy the people camaraderie. The Analyst prefers working independently and must be persuaded and tactfully introduced to the benefits of teamwork. The Creative is adaptable and plays a strong part where the benefits are transparent.
So promoting teamwork as a process where the collective mentality is more beneficial than an insular one must always be the better solution in terms of achieving successful outcomes.
But the planning must also integrate and recognise the divergence of personality types and try to integrate it in their team building caveats.
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