The key elements to successful teamwork are trust, communication and effective leadership; a focus on common goals with a collective responsibility for success (or failure). However, without trust and communication the team will have difficulty functioning effectively.

How to Promote Teamwork in the Workplace

1. Lead the Way.
2. Give Your Teams Targets.
3. Provide Regular Team Rewards.
4. Make Every Meeting a Team Meeting.
5. Set Up Team-Building Activities.
6. Open Up Lines of Communication.
7. Consider Your Office Layout.

Here’s how:

1. Build trust and respect. Nurture a team-oriented environment based on trust and respect, without which there will only be limited success.
2. Be true to your word.
3. Organize a meeting for all employees.
4. Take advantage of conflict.
5. Make hiring a team effort.

Top 10 Teamwork Skills—Examples

• Communication.
• Conflict resolution.
• Rapport-building and listening.
• Decision-making.
• Problem-solving.
• Organizational and planning skills.
• Persuasion and influencing skills.
• Reliability.

Organizational Benefits Teamwork promotes collaboration, commitment, motivation, dependability and accountability among staff or organizational members. Imposing team responsibilities helps increase individual strengths, improves delegation and reduces or eliminates certain lower levels of management.

There are even examples of effective team performance in nature; think of geese, for example, each winter the flock work together in order to achieve their common goal – reaching their seasonal destination. Communicating by honking at one another, they encourage those who appear to be losing momentum or getting tired.

Animals that Work Together as a Team

• The Cattle Egret: Teamwork for the Win.
• Canada Geese: Leadership is Flexible.
• Honey Bees: Structure Makes Teams Efficient.
• Dolphins: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.
• Wolves: We’re In This Together.
• Orcas: Learn the Ropes.
• Spotted Hyenas: Problem Solving Teams.

Diversity and Heterogeneity Each team member is valued for their unique talents and skills. Collectively, a diverse skill set, way of thinking, experiences, idea generation and problem solving helps to create an effective team and enhance results.

The Nine Belbin Team Roles

• Resource Investigator. Uses their inquisitive nature to find ideas to bring back to the team.
• Teamworker. Helps the team to gel, using their versatility to identify the work required and complete it on behalf of the team.
• Co-ordinator.
• Plant.
• Monitor Evaluator.
• Specialist.
• Shaper.
• Implementer.