A Checklist on Effective Team Working

Table of contents

Abstract

This paper presents a checklist of the qualities that make individuals effective team members. The checklist comprises of seven qualities which are communication skills, commitment towards attaining the team objective, competence members’ respective fields of specialty, creativity, support and respect for other members, effective organization and management skills, and responsibility and accountability. A further explanation of the relevance of these qualities is also presented.

Introduction

Teamwork is defined as the collaboration of several associates, each playing a role that will contribute to the attainment of the whole group’s objective (Hill & Parsons, 2014). Effective teamwork requires team members to possess certain qualities in order to facilitate a constructive relationship amongst them (Galbraith & Webb, 2013). This paper presents a checklist and rationale of teamwork qualities. The checklist is developed from my personal career experiences.

Checklist of Qualities of a Team Player
Effective communication skills
Commitment towards attaining the team objective
Competence in one’s field of specialty
Creativity
Respect and support for other team members
Effective management and organization skills
Accountability and responsibility
Rationale

This section presents an explanation of the relevance of the above qualities to team work. Reference is also made to academic sources to provide a more detailed explanation of these qualities.

Communication Skills

In order to function successfully in a team, members ought to be able to effectively communicate on both emotional and intellectual levels (Lencioni, 2012). Possession of this skill enables one to effectively present their ideas to other group members or express their displeasure in certain ideas without being threatening. Communication also involves listening, which is vital for internalizing the ideas presented by other team members. The present–day technological advancements like the internet and mobile phones have further eased the communication process, which is also advantageous for team work and has led to the ‘virtual team’ phenomenon (Duarte & Snyder, 2011). Lack of communication skills often lead to conflicts within the team or groupthink, where some team members agree with ideas without any constructive debate.

Commitment to Attainment of the Team Objective

The level of team members’ commitment to collaborate and accomplish the team’s goals is a critical contributing factor towards the success of the team (Dunin-Keplicz & Verbrugge, 2011). All teamwork projects involve the contribution of individual members towards the attainment of an overall objective. Therefore, commitment starts by their acknowledgement of the fact that what they are working to achieve cannot be solely done by one individual (Mohammed & Harrison, 2013). Committed team members have a high regard for the roles that they have been allocated and work as hard as possible to ensure that they are well accomplished within the allocated time. Commitment however depends on how organizations motivate the team members (Sheng et al., 2010).

Competence

Allocation of roles and responsibilities in team work is done according to the specialty of each team member (Lencioni, 2012). For instance, it is expected that a marketing role will be delegated to an individual who has a rich background in marketing and not engineering. By exercising competence in the roles they are allocated, team members create a sense of confidence in team leaders and other members that they will deliver the required level of quality (Galbraith & Webb, 2013). It is also necessary for team members to only accept roles in which they are sure of delivering paramount quality (Dunin-Keplicz & Verbrugge, 2011). The lack of the required levels of competence results in poor delivery of individual roles, which adversely affects the overall results of the team.

Creativity

Creativity is defined as the ability to come up with ingenious solution for certain issues or problems (Mumford, 2012). In teamwork, it is a very important tool, especially when the problem at hand has no pre-defined approach of addressing it. When a team has creative members, one of the main advantages is that the project at hand will not be hindered by common challenges that may arise in the course of its progress. Whereas creativity can be considered as an individual quality, Foss et al. (2013) also argued that creativity can be nurtured within the team because team members provide different suggestions of approaches that can be used in solving problems.

Effective Management and Organization

In the course of a team project, there are short-term objectives to be met that contribute to the attainment of the larger goal (Mohammed & Harrison, 2013). It is therefore vital for team members to effectively manage and organize time and resources that they have been allocated to accomplish their roles. The lack of management and organization skills is likely to result in delays or failure of some team members in accomplishing their roles within the allocated time schedule and resources (Galbraith & Webb, 2013). Management and organization also determines the punctuality of team members in attending meetings or reporting the progress of their allocated duties.

Respect and Support for other Team Members

One of the pillars of teamwork is the acknowledgement of the roles played by each member of the group (Duarte & Snyder, 2011). This eliminates the subscription to the ideology by other team members that their roles are more important than others. According to Sheng et al. (2010), support of other team members who may be experiencing difficulties exemplifies a sense of loyalty towards one another. Expressing respect and support rather than playing the blame game builds confidence in team members and contributes towards a constructive working relationship (Galbraith & Webb, 2013). It also increases the possibility of successful collaboration in future projects.

Accountability and Responsibility

Accountability and responsibility play a major role in instilling self discipline among members when handling projects they have been assigned to (Graham & Englund, 2013). Whilst not all team members can be allocated a leadership position in the team, they have to be responsible for the small roles they have been assigned and ensure that they deliver them on time (Sheng et al., 2010). Accountability in team work ensures that every action taken in contribution to the team project is justifiable. It is however argued that accountability limits creativity because of the fear of mistakes that can arise when trying out creative problem solving procedures (Mumford, 2012).

Conclusion

Teamwork is an inevitable phenomenon in any organization. It is therefore necessary for individuals to hone skills that enable them to be better team players. This paper has outlined some f the qualities that are considered as being vital for anyone who wants to be successful team player. Whereas I possess all of the discussed skills, I also intend to improve my level of perfection in them in order to be a better team player in future.

References

Duarte, D.L. & Snyder, N.T., 2011. Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed. San Fransisco: Josey-Bass.

Dunin-Keplicz, B. & Verbrugge, ?J., 2011. Teamwork in Multi-Agent Systems: A Formal Approach. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Foss, L., Woll, K. & Moilanen, M., 2013. Creativity and implementations of new ideas: Do organisational structure, work environment and gender matterInternational Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 5(3), pp.298-322.

Galbraith, D.D. & Webb, F.L., 2013. Teams That Work: Preparing Student. American Journal Of Business Education Teams For The Workplace, 6(2), pp.223-33.

Graham, R.J. & Englund, R.L., 2013. Creating an environment for successful projects. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Hill, F. & Parsons, L?., 2014. Teamwork in the Management of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. New Jersey: Routledge.

Lencioni, P., 2012. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Intact Teams Participant Workbook. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

Mohammed, S. & Harrison, D.A., 2013. The clocks that time us are not the same: A theory of temporal diversity, task characteristics, and performance in teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 122(2), pp.244-56.

Mumford, M.D., 2012. Handbook of Organizational Creativity. London: Elsevier.

Sheng, C.W., Tian, Y.F. & Chen, M.C., 2010. Relationships among teamwork behavior, trust, perceived team support, and team commitment. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 38(10), pp.1297-305.

Calculate the price
Make an order in advance and get the best price
Pages (550 words)
$0.00
*Price with a welcome 15% discount applied.
Pro tip: If you want to save more money and pay the lowest price, you need to set a more extended deadline.
We know how difficult it is to be a student these days. That's why our prices are one of the most affordable on the market, and there are no hidden fees.

Instead, we offer bonuses, discounts, and free services to make your experience outstanding.
How it works
Receive a 100% original paper that will pass Turnitin from a top essay writing service
step 1
Upload your instructions
Fill out the order form and provide paper details. You can even attach screenshots or add additional instructions later. If something is not clear or missing, the writer will contact you for clarification.
Pro service tips
How to get the most out of your experience with MyStudyWriters
One writer throughout the entire course
If you like the writer, you can hire them again. Just copy & paste their ID on the order form ("Preferred Writer's ID" field). This way, your vocabulary will be uniform, and the writer will be aware of your needs.
The same paper from different writers
You can order essay or any other work from two different writers to choose the best one or give another version to a friend. This can be done through the add-on "Same paper from another writer."
Copy of sources used by the writer
Our college essay writers work with ScienceDirect and other databases. They can send you articles or materials used in PDF or through screenshots. Just tick the "Copy of sources" field on the order form.
Testimonials
See why 20k+ students have chosen us as their sole writing assistance provider
Check out the latest reviews and opinions submitted by real customers worldwide and make an informed decision.
business
Great job
Customer 452773, February 13th, 2023
Leadership Studies
excellent job
Customer 452773, August 26th, 2023
Business and administrative studies
Excellent work ,always done early
Customer 452773, February 21st, 2023
ACC543MANAGERIALACCOUNTINGANDLEGALASPECTS
excellent
Customer 452773, January 25th, 2024
Managerial Accounting & Legal Aspects of Business ACC/543
excellent work
Customer 452773, February 7th, 2024
Nursing
thank you so much
Customer 452749, June 10th, 2021
Business and administrative studies
Thank you for your hard work and effort. Made a 96 out of 125 points Lacked information from the rubic
Customer 452773, October 27th, 2023
Human Resources Management (HRM)
excellent, great job
Customer 452773, June 19th, 2023
Business and administrative studies
excellent work
Customer 452773, March 9th, 2023
Psychology
Thank you!
Customer 452545, February 6th, 2021
Business and administrative studies
excellent job! got an A, thank you
Customer 452773, May 24th, 2023
History
Don't really see any of sources I provided, but elsewise its great, thank you!
Customer 452697, May 8th, 2021
11,595
Customer reviews in total
96%
Current satisfaction rate
3 pages
Average paper length
37%
Customers referred by a friend
OUR GIFT TO YOU
15% OFF your first order
Use a coupon FIRST15 and enjoy expert help with any task at the most affordable price.
Claim my 15% OFF Order in Chat
Close

Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own

Let us help you get a good grade on your paper. Get professional help and free up your time for more important courses. Let us handle your;

  • Dissertations and Thesis
  • Essays
  • All Assignments

  • Research papers
  • Terms Papers
  • Online Classes
Live ChatWhatsApp