Focus: Teamwork

Trust. Cooperation. Communication. And a bit of selflessness. Being part of a team can be an enriching and a challenging experience at the same time. And in today’s corporate setup, it is near-impossible to be an island — every employee is part of a team, and the team’s performance influences the individual’s, for better or for worse. But team dynamics can be tricky business — from individual personalities of each team member to the willingness of the team leader to address difficult issues, building a strong team depends on numerous factors. This week, Gulf News readers discuss a few. Post your thoughts on our Facebook page ‘Gulf News Al Nisr Publishing UAE’ or tell us at
readers@gulfnews.com

13:04 Gulf News: Most leaders are not brave enough to tackle real issues within a team.

13:07 Saurabh Kumar: I do not agree. Leaders are the people who are always looked up to — to work, perform well and resolve conflicts. It is the individual team member’s desires that often comes into conflict with the goals of the team.

13:07 Sophy Aqeel: Team work basically depends upon a good team leader. A leader should be bold enough to face all difficulties.

13:07 Ishfaq Mir: This might happen if they are afraid to lose their post in the firm.

13:08 Saurabh Kumar: Everyone cannot be a leader — some are born leaders. But with today’s universal application of management theories, it can also be learned from life experiences. I believe good leaders do not shy away from giving constructive criticism, but more often than not this viewpoint is usually not taken in the right manner by the members of the team or the group.

13:11 Ishfaq Mir: This may also be because there is a lack of understanding and co-operation within the team. The person who is able to hold his/her team together despite that is a true leader. It is not that easy!

13:14 Saurabh Kumar: The leader has to bear the responsibility for all the outcomes. Everyone appreciates the team when the output is positive, but it is the leader who will be frowned upon when objectives are not accomplished. This is the true quality of any leader — to accept the blame and take responsibility for the team’s action and behaviour.

13:18 Gulf News: It is impossible to have a big team without having allegiances within it.

13:20 Sophy Aqeel: A big team does not matter if you are able to get the maximum cooperation from the team members.

13:20 Ishfaq Mir: No, I don’t exactly agree with the statement because it is not impossible. The leader should just have the right knowledge and skill. Then, everything else falls in place.

13:21 Saurabh Kumar: Loyalty within a group does not depend upon the number of members. Conflicts can arise even between two people. It is only a matter of time before members overcome their differences — which is usually the tumultuous stage of team’s formation. Once they are oriented towards common goals and objectives, then the performance is delivered.

13:21 Sophy Aqeel: The leader should be bold and strong and have the maximum amount of patience.

13:22 Gulf News: Multicultural environments could face issues with trust.

13:26 Sophy Aqeel: Having trust among team members is the key to success, but most people betray it or take advantage of a good leader, whether it is a multicultural team or not.

13:26 Saurabh Kumar: Multiculturalism can be a catalyst for understanding as well as impede the successful formation of a team. But the reality is that in today’s world, every business whether big or small operates in a multicultural environment. Reconciling the differences between cultures would ensure that mutual trust is developed.

13:26 Ishfaq Mir: Yes, that is what a leader should prevent. A team may consist of different people having different cultures and none must feel left out amongst the lot.

13:28 Gulf News: Today’s corporate culture is too competitive to foster teamwork.

13:30 Saurabh Kumar: I beg to differ. Almost every corporate culture is thriving upon team success and not on an individual’s contribution. It is not the survival of the fittest, but survival of those who can create nurturing relationships with the external as well as internal members. I can vouch for the fact that every individual who will pass out from a university will be joining a team.

13:35 Ishfaq Mir: Yes, it is definitely possible to achieve a healthy team spirit, provided the leader and the team share a good rapport and understand their respective duties well.
 
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It is a difficult time, so people become greedy and competitive. Some people mistake being cooperative as a disadvantage. They worry that if they share information it may be something that works against them. A leader needs to think of the common good of the project they are working on before thinking about their personal goals; understand that people have less knowledge, take the time to explain, and more importantly, listen.
Noor Khoury
Assistant product manager working in Dubai

Competition has two sides to it — it can lead to some limitations and also help you work better. Team work really depends on the field you are working in, but you can always set certain basic standards to be followed. It also depends a lot on the team leader — if they are truly concerned about team spirit, they will enforce it.
Laila Al Nahawi
Assistant relationship manager working in Sharjah

It is really easy to be a part of a team, as every person is responsible for something or the other. Just like a team sport, if you have a good team, you win, but if everybody plays separately, it doesn’t really help. I agree that competition is very tough, specially in sales, where your salary depends on achieving targets. In such cases, a good leader is important to build the right spirit – he needs to be cooperative, helpful and appreciative.
Mahmoud Rasheed
Sales and marketing executive living in Al Ain