This is a question that I've put it off my list for a long time.
Because I believed I've arrived at A CONCLUSION for myself.
And that is -- Teamwork does not work! It actually slow things down.
I derived that conclusion from my past experiences of working in a ''team''. And the result is never satisfying. It's not that it did not work out, or that my team has done something so low graded that can never be accepted, it's just that, when I compared a ''team''work to my own work, I always find myself doing better as an individualistic doer.
That's how that conclusion comes from.
I've received conflicting opinions with special regard to this topic from people around me, but those opinions never really satisfied me, because they didn't have a strong reason.
Alright, but today (okay, a few weeks ago actually, but today is the day I've decided to write it out in a public domain after putting enough thoughts into it), I believe I've discovered one aspect of the dynamics behind how to make ''team''work really works!
The secret is..........(drumroll)........
RELIANCE VS SUPPORT
I'll explain.
The purpose of having a team is because one need support from the others as the amount of work one can do is really limited.
The key word here is support.
A simple definition of support is to complement the lack of one by the others.
Eg: If I were to do a presentation and I suck in powerpoint. A person who is good in powerpoint can support me by doing the slides for me. In this case, he complement my lack of skills in powerpoint.
This is all well and good. Attaining a fairly good result is predictable.
However, the equation breaks down when SUPPORT is misunderstood as RELIANCE!!
When instead of supporting each other, the team members started to rely on each other for the progression as a team.
An example that I can think of now is, imagine a company run by a technician who is responsible for producing new products and a salesperson who is obviously responsible for getting sales. A technician needs information about the demands of the market to create RELEVANT PRODUCT that is of demand by the market which the salesperson possesses through all his interactions with the consumers; the salesperson who lacks technical knowledge need the help of the technician in explaining and convincing a potential prospect regarding all the technical questions that may arise.
This team works when they SUPPORT each other by complementing each other's lack.
What if instead of supporting each other, the technician thinks that all he has to do is to produce product to be sold and getting contracts signed is really the job of the salesperson and is not his concern?
A simple linear consequence is that the salesperson will have difficulty securing a sales for the company.
A simple guideline that I've drawn out for myself is to ask this question:
Is the team supporting me in whatever I'm doing? Or am I simply relying on the team to move?
You are here to help me in my movement, and I'm here to help you in yours.
This is how a poor team define teamwork. And that is as far as their definition goes.
But what they don't realize is....
I don't need you to move and you don't need me to move either.
(This is, in my opinion, the part that separates the good from the bad.)
There is a fine but crucial distinction between Reliance and Support. However, the distinction is usually not so obvious at first sight.
The perfect team that I seek, therefore is a team which all of us have the competency to do what we are supposed to do, and to be so competent that, we are able to really SUPPORT each other. NO RELIANCE IS ALLOWED.
Reliance is a poison. No matter how high your team's spirit is, reliance will kill the team.
Support, on the other hand, is what produces a great team.
Although the words that I used may be mistakenly sound like I'm here trying to teach a lesson or sound like a professor, truly, I'm just directing those words to myself.
Simply ignore, if they do not fit your appetite.
Letting it out in public is a gesture to welcome constructive opinions to help build on this theory.
Thank you!
In my opinion it's all about whether everyone in a team has the same direction, same target, same goal. Technician and salesperson will be helping each other so effectively if they see the same direction,see the big picture, i.e. to improve the revenue and business of the company. But when they are bumped with life challenges, problems, demotivated, they start getting selfish, don't care, and just finish what they must do, that's all. They do not have the same goal, or they had, but they abandoned it. I always believe the essence of a team is that everyone possesses the same final goal, genuinely in the heart, not any apparent or fake opinions. That's why those academic assignments teams are never regarded as a real team, because all of them will not have the same final goal, all are just relieving their responsibility or burdens.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your theory. You had a thinking that a team is useless, working alone is more useful, just because you have never found a good team. In fact I don't think there are available sets of people can be combined together instantly to form a great team, unless you duplicate yourself. Everyone is too unique with their personalities. A team has to be built patiently, awaiting the team chemistry, leveraging each other strengths, understand and help to improve each other weaknesses. It builds on the foundation of relationships.
Just go out there, talk with more people about your dreams, you will find potential people who share the same dream and passions with you, they are the people who can form great team with you. Start initiate some plan and do actions together, in between there might be demotivating or frustrating moment, conflicts, but all you have to do is just believe :)
Oh ya great piece of writing it gave me alot of insights, can I share? haaha
ReplyDeleteYA sure. It's my pleasure. HAHA!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you that sharing the same goal is a prerequisite, in fact the most crucial element of a team!
And I would like to add a little bit on this discussion that there is a trap in 'being in a team'. It's easy to fall into treating your team as a safe haven, because there is this feeling that you have a bunch of team members behind your back. I say this from my own experience. And this is very unhealthy to the team because the RELIANCE, once again creeped in.
So you are right and I love your second paragraph. It strikes a chord. I started doing that actually, and I found not only inspiration but also fun in working as a team, a 'growing' team, borrowing your words! LOL I was so dead wrong before this.
partially agree with what you have said..
ReplyDeletesometimes, working as a team makes things more e and e.. sometimes, it may ruin the works as well.. personally based on my own experience, it was mainly due to ur team members' attitude. it is whether they have the mindset of just to simply get their own parts done and thats it, or they really wish to get things done well.
i have faced the same situation before, my team members done smtg low graded , plagiarism,, .....which was really pissing me off!!
however, when u are working with the right people with the same goal (as what huan said), the thing is totally different. We helped each other out and managed to get things done well. Although there might be some reliance on the team leader, or the one who is more capable, but i think it is ok what, as long as the reliance is not too over, the more competent person may just lead the others.
duno la, just to voice out what im thinking after reading ur post. =)
Adah, I'm really impressed by your reliance vs support opinion. It's really well said! Reliance and Support are the terms which could be used to define the success or failure of a team. What distinguish between them? Reliance is I rely on you, you need to help me! But support is I support you, I help you! From this, we can see that the mind-set of the members in a team is really important.
ReplyDeleteAs Huann said, if a team is formed under the goal congruence, members have the same objective and the team know what they want to be, it would be a very great team!! So, obviously, the principle of an awesome team is the key whether the team would achieve its objective, whether they can sustain, or whether they are able to work together as a team.
IMHO, when you are alone, you can have a good plan, but when comes to manpower issue who can execute your plan or idea, you need a supportive team :-)
Regards,
Matthew Lee! LOL
Maro, thanks for the input. I understand what you mean.
ReplyDeleteMat, I'm glad that you get it. And I like the way you put it in your own words too!