| (STRENGTH IN SYNERGY)TEAM SPIRIT | | | | questioned. Where as the team B, planned well, |
| BY PROF. M.SRINIVASA RAO | | | | coordinated properly, ground their axes, worked |
| Andrew Carnegie said, “Team work is the ability | | | | smartly and got the result much before the deadline. |
| to work together toward a common vision. The | | | | It is a clear indication of smart work. And in this |
| ability to direct individual accomplishments toward | | | | growing technological and competitive world it is not |
| organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows | | | | the hard work but the smart work that counts. |
| common people to attain uncommon results”. | | | | Merits of Team Work: |
| Formation of homogeneous group out of | | | | According to Herb Kelleher of South West Airlines |
| heterogeneous for achieving organizational goals and | | | | – “Team play is a fundamental concept ….. |
| objectives can be defined as team work. Working in | | | | If you want to succeed, if you want to win, you |
| teams is a fun and frolic. Team work touches upon | | | | have to play as a team.” |
| our hidden talents. It is here people communicate | | | | The results can be maximized and expedited due to |
| more freely and work together in a team resulting in | | | | the strength in synergy. When the team members |
| more efficient and effective results. It is nothing but | | | | consult one another during the process, they learn to |
| synergy of strengths of diversified people. Every | | | | come out openly and learn to respect others’ |
| individual is blessed with unique qualities, abilities, | | | | ideas. Members start believing with each other |
| talents and skills and when they work in teams with | | | | shedding their inhibitions and hesitations. The outcome |
| passion, we can expect unique results. Although | | | | will be in exponential proportions. There will be |
| numerically one plus one is two, but in team work it | | | | supplementary and complementary of skills and |
| gives rise to more than two. It is here where people | | | | abilities. At times, the team members come out with |
| of diversified backgrounds and faculties come | | | | ideas which they themselves never thought of, from |
| together to do their best forgetting their egos, | | | | their subconscious minds. The member also realizes |
| differences of opinions, views and ideas so as to | | | | his strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis other |
| keep the objectives of the team paramount. | | | | members and tries to overcome his weaknesses and |
| Effective team work develops team spirit, flexibility, | | | | strengthens his strengths. |
| openness, adjustability and adaptability. | | | | People working in teams develop using two letter |
| Characteristics of an Effective Team: | | | | word ‘we’ instead of one letter word |
| Basically a team must possess four elements such as | | | | ‘I’. Stephen Covey, in his book, ‘The |
| purpose, duration, structure and membership. The | | | | Seven Habits of Highly Effectively People’ wrote |
| leader or the manager must be very clear in his or | | | | about the terminology of synergy and it is one of |
| her goals and objectives to avoid ambiguity. He or | | | | the greatest habits across the successful people in |
| she must be a risk taker for conducting such an | | | | the world. |
| exercise. Creation of conducive and relaxed climate is | | | | Working in groups or teams promotes esprit de |
| an imperative to get desired results. The entire | | | | corps (loyalty), camaraderie, and problem solving |
| members are to be interdependent and independent | | | | ability. People, when work in teams develop the ability |
| to make the team building exercise relevant. There | | | | to resolve the conflicts amicably. Due to the physical |
| should be a provision for positive and creative ideas. | | | | proximity in teams, the members derive job |
| All members must be free to air their opinions and | | | | satisfaction by various means and they gradually |
| ideas. There has to be collective responsibility and | | | | develop multitasking abilities. By way of discussions |
| accountability. | | | | and dialogues, bags of information are generated and |
| How to Build an Effective Team? | | | | team members become more knowledgeable. It is |
| It is basically the team leader or manager who should | | | | here cooperation replaces competition with in the |
| create. He must know group behavior and must be | | | | team members. Ability to stay focused is an efficient |
| good at group psychology. He must build the team | | | | trait; the members tend to hit the bulls’ eye |
| so as to achieve the organizational goals and | | | | accurately. No repetition of the work takes place as |
| objectives which are measurable, realistic and | | | | all are aware of what is going on right under their |
| attainable. He needs to be an excellent jockey till the | | | | noses. |
| race is completed. Resolving conflicts in the team, | | | | Employee turn over is thorny issue in all sectors of |
| encouraging relevant meetings, sharing goals and | | | | the industry and it can be minimized by inculcating |
| objectives, creating a conducive climate, clear | | | | team spirit as people do not feel to quit their |
| demarcation of the roles and responsibilities , | | | | organizations when they develop good relations with |
| providing adequate training, strengthening bottom | | | | their colleagues. Optimum utilization of time and |
| lines, communicating effectively and efficiently - a | | | | available resources can be ensured. There will be |
| powerful team can be built. There is a team facilitator | | | | enhancement of qualitative work and the recognition |
| who provides required guidance and support to the | | | | of hidden potential amongst the employees. |
| team members. An efficient team member can | | | | Team Spirit as a Skill Tested In Interviews: |
| become a successful team facilitator and then as a | | | | When the students go for employment, the |
| team leader. The leader must build members who | | | | employers look for the team spirit. The employers will |
| believe in smart work rather than hard work. | | | | be on the look out for this trait and they try to |
| There is a subtle difference between smart work | | | | examine whether the candidate possesses this |
| and hard work. For instance, there are two teams | | | | characteristic. Non possession becomes a major |
| each containing three members and are asked to cut | | | | liability and the candidate gets rejected. The |
| two different trees of same size shape and width. | | | | psychologists and other interviewing officers try to |
| The members of team A immediately took their | | | | find out this ability by posing questions from different |
| axes and started cutting the tree at the root as the | | | | directions and dimensions and when the candidate |
| time frame fixed is one hour for both to complete | | | | demonstrates constantly then only there is a |
| the task. Whereas the members of the team B took | | | | possibility to get into the slot. All organizations |
| around 15 minutes to grind their axes and then they | | | | whether it is civil or military organizations lays great |
| began cutting the tree. And they could cut it with in | | | | emphasis on this quality. |
| 15 minutes of starting the activity and finished with in | | | | Soft skills are a cluster of many skills and abilities and |
| 30 minutes by cutting at the base of the tree. The | | | | it is said that possession of team spirit is one of the |
| team A began cutting the tree but failed to do with | | | | major skills. In order to inculcate this quality, the |
| in an hour and took more than that to fell the tree. | | | | students must learn to work in teams’ right from |
| Here the difference between the team A and B is: | | | | their childhood itself by participating in sports, cultural |
| The team A did not plan well, coordinate well and on | | | | activities, in academic careers to avoid displeasure at |
| the other hand they worked very hard but could not | | | | the time of interviews. To put it in the words of |
| achieve the result with in the time frame. It is a clear | | | | Stephen Covey, “Strength lies in differences, not |
| indication of hard work and their sincerity can not be | | | | in similarities”. |