Teams have become essential parts of the varied social environment, ranging from for-profit organizations to communities. Every person will have to depend on someone else at some point in their lives and work collaboratively to contribute to a common goal. No employee can do their work alone as the organizational framework is built in such a way that it enables taking and providing help to colleagues to accomplish tasks as soon and as effectively as possible. Besides, research evidence has shown that the outcome of work is better when employees collaborate in a team instead of individually (Assbeihat, 2016).
In the organizational context, teams are essential to facilitate adaptability and strategic development that relies on diverse knowledge and expertise. In the social context, team-based work can apply individual perspectives, experiences, and skills intended to solve complicated social issues. On the individual level, teamwork brings people closer to one another – when they have a common goal, they are more likely to have shared interests and ideas that serve as the building blocks of healthy relationships. In all of the mentioned contexts, team-based collaboration allows to break down the problem into manageable portions, with everyone involved sharing the weight of problem-solving rather than placing it on someone separately.
In an organization, teams represent the most effective solutions for problem-solving. A specific example of this is the problem of poor sales performance as a result of inadequate marketing and public relations efforts. A team is essential to solving the issue because it allows an organization and its management to be open to different points of view (Haas & Mortensen, 2016). A mix of perspectives developed from various professional experiences, educational backgrounds, and training would allow solving the issue sooner. For instance, younger specialists who are acquainted with social media use can help develop an effective social media marketing (SMM) strategy while employees with experience could take the lead in developing a long-term differentiation roadmap to boost organizational performance.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork
Because teamwork is a multi-dimensional process that involves diverse opinions and perspectives, it is important to consider the strengths and weaknesses that it brings. On the bright side, team problem-solving enables better thinking because individuals with different experiences and competencies use their diverse knowledge on a particular matter. It also allows building upon each other’s ideas, with the smallest contributions being taken into account. Another benefit is the reduced risk of bias within an organization in general. When a solution to a problem was a team effort, all employees will likely be treated equally without favoritism.
On the downside, teamwork-based problem-solving is limited by the unequal participation of the workers involved. It is not guaranteed that each team member will do the same amount of work as the other one, which means that some will have more responsibilities than others. Another challenge of team problem-solving is time constraints because a solution is often needed within a short timeframe, while involving a group in the process may take more time than expected.
Besides, it is crucial to consider that the unwillingness to participate can also deteriorate problem-solving. Some employees are more prone to working in a group than others, which means that not all individuals will be welcoming of the idea of collaborative problem-solving.
The observer that takes the role of a participant in a group enables a natural, although challenging, collection of information. Within the group context, the observer can connect to the group members’ experiences, discovering through immersion and participation what decisions are being made and why (Adams & Galanes, 2017). Such a way of discovery is natural and inherent to human behavior as every person has done it repeatedly throughout their lives, such as learning what it means to be a family member, a participant of an ethnic or natural culture, workgroups, as well as personal associations and circles. Thus, through observation that relies on participation, it is possible to systematize and organize an inherently fluid collaborative process.
Even though teamwork has multiple advantages, individual work has its benefits that collaborative effort does not bring. For instance, a person can work at their own pace without relying on someone else. In addition, it is easier to concentrate on the task at hand without any distractions, which makes an individual work faster and more efficiently. Also, the whole credit for the problem solved is given to one person who can ultimately benefit financially.
An example of an issue that can be solved best by one person is having to develop a new filing system at the office that will increase efficiency. However, it is vital to account for individual work limitations, such as having to take full responsibility for any mistake and failure.
To conclude, a carefully-crafted team combines the competencies and strengths of different individuals, thus facilitating collaboration based on great skills, reasoning, and leadership abilities. As a result, developing a solution becomes much less intimidating and encourages the parties involved to consider small but effective steps instead of striving for one and all-encompassing option. When working in teams, exploring every idea as it arises is fundamental for problem-solving problems because solutions may come from different sources.
References
Adams, K., & Galanes, G. (2017). Communicating in Groups: Applications and skills (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Assbeihat, J. M. (2016). The impact of collaboration among members on team performance. Management and Administrative Sciences Review, 5(5), 248-259.
Haas, M., & Mortensen, M. (2016). The secrets of great teamwork. Harvard Business Review. Web.