Define Teamwork

In this article we look at some of the common understandings of teamwork,

but we also do something different. We look at the idea that its not just
your definition of teamwork that counts.
Its how your team define teamwork that can make all the difference between a
definition that works, and one that is irrelevant. Thats because when you define
teamwork together, its more likely to become a shared definition, and one that
encourages commitment.
With this in mind, the article finishes with a link to our teamwork definition
tool, designed to help your team define teamwork. This is the real basis for
agreeing a definition that is both relevant, and one that works.
Teamwork and Teams
So, how to define teamwork? Well the obvious place to start is with a
dictionary. Typically, teamwork is defined as:
Co-operation between those who are working on a task.
Teamwork is generally understood as the willingness of a group of people to work
together to achieve a common aim. For example, we often use the phrase: he
or she is a good team player. This means someone has the interests of the
team at heart, working for the good of the team.
But teamwork is not exclusive to teams. For example, you can see evidence of
teamwork in a committee, which might not necessarily see itself as a team. In
this context, teamwork might be random co-operation, effectively working
together for periods of time. But not always!
To define teamwork, it might also be worth clarifying what its not, and thinking
about the distinction between teams and teamwork. In our view, a team exists
when individual strengths and skills are combined with teamwork, in the pursuit
of a common direction or cause, in order to produce meaningful results for the
team members and the organization. A team combines individual strengths with
a shared commitment to performance, its not just about getting on well together.
Teamwork is absolutely fundamental for teams to work effectively. Only when
the skills and strengths of individual team members are joined with shared
goals, and a focus on collective performance, will you start to see the benefits
of a team at work.
Why does this matter? Well language can sometimes be confusing. Teamwork is
perhaps more helpfully understood as only part of whats needed to create an
effective team.
Why is this distinction so important? Because whilst you cant have a team
without teamwork, you can have teamwork without being a team!

Define teamwork: what you value and what you do

So having clarified the difference between a team and teamwork, what else
should we consider in order to define teamwork? One thing is to think of
teamwork is as its often commonly understood, as both a set of behaviors and
as attitude. Understanding and managing these factors will help you encourage
people to work together effectively. To become a team. The key to this is
realizing that:
Attitudes come from what you value and are expressed in how you behave.
The French language has a wonderful phrase for teamwork: esprit de corps. The
spirit of a group that makes the members want to succeed. There is a sense of
unity, of enthusiasm shared in common interests and responsibilities.
This means encouraging a high regard on such things as team spirit, respecting
others, and valuing their contributions. It also means fostering a sense that more
can be achieved by working together than as individuals. And once these
attitudes are ingrained, its far more likely that team members will behave
accordingly.
This is one of the reasons we suggest that you define teamwork together with
your team, because it is your own shared understanding and commitment to
behaviors which will make teamwork work.
Think for a moment about how you would define teamwork. What do you value
about working in a team? Here are some thoughts and ideas which might help
your thinking.
Teamwork suggests that people work in an atmosphere of mutual support and
trust, working together cohesively, with good inter-group relations. Each others
strengths are valued. It should also foster an increasing maturity of relationship,
where people are free to disagree constructively, and where both support and
challenge are a part of helping teams work.
With real teamwork we tend to see positive attitudes and behaviors such as:
Trust in colleagues to deliver what they
promise Willingness to help when
needed
Sharing of a common vision of the future
Co-operation and blending of each others strengths
Positive attitudes, providing support and
encouragement Active listening
All members pulling their weight and in the same
direction Giving the benefit of the doubt
Consensus building

Effective
conflict
resolution
Open
communication

So define teamwork now?

Taking all of this into consideration, perhaps the best way to define teamwork is:
when a group of people work together cohesively, towards a common goal,
creating a positive working atmosphere, and supporting each other to combine
individual strengths to enhance team performance.
For more on our approach to the best way to define teamwork, read our article
on the benefits of teamwork, providing more insights into why teamwork is
important.
What next words are not enough.

To define teamwork then, this article is a good place to start (although we have
deliberately kept a broad and hopefully rich sense of what teamwork is).
But its also important to build a shared understanding of what teamwork means
in your specific context. That is, what it means to your team and more widely, to
your organization.
To do this though, words are often not enough. Building teamwork is also about
what you do, starting with that shared understanding of teamwork, and
agreeing together what you value.
Thats exactly what our teamwork definition tool is designed to do. Youll find
this tool, plus a wealth of other resources, in our colossal Team Building Bundle.
SOURCE: [Link]

What Role Do You Take on a Team?

All material on [Link] is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre. All
rights reserved. May be reproduced for non-commercial use with copyright and
attribution to [Link]
Commercial use requires permission: email mmcintyre@[Link].
For a team to succeed, members need to play the appropriate role at the
appropriate time. See which roles you are most likely to take and which ones
are not part of your natural style. When you are on a team, try to use your
strengths in a way that will help your group be productive.
BUT you must...
make
If you are a...

You will naturally be able to...

an effort to

Leader

Help the group make decisions. Direct

action.

Share leadership in

Insure that results are accomplished.

Keep people focused on the task and
working towards the goal.

Planne
r

Cheerlead
er

Critic

Think through steps that need to be taken.

Look for the best way to accomplish a task.
Encourage consideration of alternatives.
Prevent group from taking action too
quickly.

Actively watch and

listen to what is
occurring in the
group.
Share
observations
to
help the group
function
more
Point out potential problems with ideas.
Alert group to mistakes that are about to be effectively.
made. Try to keep the group from taking
potentially hazardous risks.
Offer support for new ideas and
suggestions. Point out good aspects of
ideas. Offer encouragement to group
members. Keep morale up after setbacks.

Doer

Encourage the group to take action and

implement ideas. Insure that time is not
wasted on too much analysis. Identify
immediate action steps.

Innovator

Suggest new ideas and approaches. Keep

the group from getting stuck in a rut.
Advocate creative solutions to problems.
Look at things from a different perspective.

Observer

the group. Not

exercise too
much control.
Involve others
and use their
expertise.
Include others in
the planning
process. Not
spend too much
time assessing
alternatives. Act
quickly when
necessary.

See
situatio
ns and
people
realistic
ally.
Recogni
ze
potentia
l pitfalls
and
risks.
Recogniz
e
positive
aspects
of ideas.
Express
apprecia
tion to
others.
Take
reasonab
le risks.
Take time
to do
sufficient
planning.
Evaluate
ideas
before
impleme
nting
them.
Not do
the first
thing
that
comes to
mind.
See
possible
pitfalls in
ideas.
Recognize
when it is
better to

stick with the status quo. Not make changes

just for the sake of change.
Verbalize
observations, don't just watch. Share
useful ideas and information. Participate
enough to be seen as a member of the
team.

SOURCE:
[Link]
o_you_take_on_a_team.aspx
Teamwork Exercise: Discussion of Roles and Responsibilities
Introduction
A critical issue that can impede the success of teams is a lack of clarity regarding the roles,
responsibilities, and expectations of the various agencies and/or individuals who compose its
membership. This exercise is designed to assist team members to understand more fully their
own roles and responsibilities in relationship to the work of the team, and to provide them with
an opportunity to share their expectations about the roles and responsibilities of others.
Because it can be difficult to understand fully the distinction between a role and a responsibility,
please keep the following definitions in mind as you move through this exercise.

Roles Generally, roles are the positions team members assume or the parts that they
play in a particular operation or process. (For example, a role an individual might assume
is that of facilitator, or communications liaison).
Responsibilities On the other hand, responsibilities are the specific tasks or duties that
members are expected to complete as a function of their roles. They are the specific
activities or obligations for which they are held accountable when they assumeor are
assigned toa role on a project or team. (For example, some of the responsibilities of a
person in the role of team facilitator might include making sure that meeting agendas
reflect feedback and input from all members, that the meetings start on time and end on
time, and that all members have opportunities to contribute to discussions.)

Generally speaking, there are two types of roles that team members may have. There are formal
roles, which are the essential parts or positions that must be filled in order to collectively
accomplish the goals of a project or team, and there are also informal roles, which may or may
not be required in order to achieve the teams goals, but that can have an impacteither
positive or negative on the progress of the team.
When we refer to formal roles, we are describing essentially who is responsible for what.
Formal roles are absolutely essential for the success of the team. Obviously, if individual team
members do not know what they are expected to do, it is highly unlikely that anything will get
done. Again, a lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities is one of the primary reasons that
teams fail to produce results. In addition, it is unlikely that members will continue to be
interested or invested in a project if they do not know why they are involved or what is expected
of them or the other members.
Unlike formal roles, informal roles are not assigned. Instead, they are assumed by individuals
because of their personalities, motivations, individual styles and attitudes, or the ways that they
like to approach situations or tasks. Just as it is important to understand or recognize the formal
roles people have on a team, it is also critical to identify the informal roles played by individuals,
because informal roles can have a significant impact on a team. Certain types of informal roles
can enhance the overall productivity of the team, but the impact of other types of informal roles
if not addressedcan be negative and may detract from the teams ability to function
effectively. The following are examples of some of the informal roles that members play on
teams.

Teams might have a caretaker. This is the person who makes sure that there is harmony,
that everyone is getting along, and everyones needs are being met.
Sometimes teams have an informal spokesperson. This is the person who takes
responsibility for hearing everyones voice, synthesizing different opinions, and then
speaking out on behalf of the group.
The role of the comedian is played by the person who wants to assume responsibility for
making sure everyone is having a good time. Comedians break tension and conflict with
humor. They make sure teams do not take themselves too seriously.
There is the catalyst. This is the person who is like the cheerleader, who contains the
energy for the project, gets people excited, and forces people to move forward.
The optimist is someone who is always looking at the positive side of issues, who brings an
upbeat perspective.

There is the pessimist, who brings the negative perspective. Pessimists often will call
themselves realists because their view of reality is negative. But the true realist is not
necessarily negative.
The realist is the person who conducts the reality checks for the team, who wants to see
the team succeed and not get blindsided by events that are unanticipated.

These are just some examples of the kinds of informal roles that individuals play. The important
thing to note here is that informal roles do have a significant impactboth positive and negative
on the work of teams, and it is important to identify and address those effects when necessary.
As has been emphasized, clear roles and responsibilities are critical to the ultimate success of
teams. However, such clarity is not always present within collaborative teamsparticularly when
teams are first established, and especially if there are individuals on the team who have not
worked together previously. Regardless of whether a team is newly formed or longstanding, each
of the team members will have desires and beliefs about what the other members of the team
could or should be doing. These beliefs are referred to as role expectations, and it is very
important for members to discuss them so that there are no misunderstandings between what
team members expect of one another or one anothers agencies, and what individual members
perceive their own roles to be.
Exercise Purpose
Team members come from different specialties and backgrounds, and it is important that they
step outside their professional daytoday responsibilities and think in terms of what they can
specifically contribute to the team and how each can positively improve the level of team
collaboration.
This exercise allows time to discuss what individual team members believe they contribute to the
team. It also provides all team members with an opportunity to comment on how they view other
members contributions. The purpose is to clarify and agree on each members roles and
responsibilities on the team.
Exercise Instructions

Using the attached Role Expectations Worksheet, individually write a brief statement
describing your perception of your roles and responsibilities on your team. Give thought to
the unique skills, talents, and expertise you bring to the group and how these relate to the
specific role(s) you can perform. Your statement should include information about what
you think the other team members expect you to contribute.
Using the attached Role Clarification Worksheet, write brief comments about what you
expect each of your teammates (list each by name) to contribute to the teams operations
and performance.
Read your roles and responsibilities description, and express what you see as your
contributions to the team. Allow others to ask questions and clarify your comments. Have
others describe their expectations of you. Compare and contrast your personal ideas with
those of your fellow team members. Discuss any differences in opinions or observations.
Follow the instructions above for each team member. Come to an understanding of and
consensus on each persons roles and responsibilities on the team.

SOURCE: [Link]
REPORT:

TEAMWORK

What is team/teamwork?
Describe team roles and scopes.
Identify own role or responsibility within the team and work as a team member