Teamwork in the Organisation

1. INTRODUCTION

Teams are a part of everyone's life. You're a member of a family team, an extension staff team, and church, school, and community teams. As a result, there is a need for teamwork; organisations are confronted with increasingly complex problems with many dimensions. For example, the energy problem has implications for extension programming in agriculture, family living, community development and youth development programs for both rural and urban people. (Dyer, 1997 p. 139) So it's appropriate that people try to understand how to function effectively as team members.

2. WHAT CONSTITUTES TEAM WORK?

2.1 Teamwork ...

Merriam Webster dictionary (2005) describes teamwork as work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole. Nevertheless greater interpersonal skills are necessary if teams work together effectively at more complex levels. (Belbin, 1981)

2.2 Characteristics needed for team work

Douglas McGregor's (cited in Heil, 2000) list of the unique characteristics of an effective management team include 1)Understanding, mutual agreement, and identification with respect to the primary task 2)Open communications 3)Mutual trust 4)Mutual support 5)Management of human differences leading to group synergy 6)Selective use of the team

7)Appropriate member skills 8) Leadership: Managing and integrating the other 7 characteristics

A team is only as strong as the individual members.

English: Carl Gustav Jung, full-length portrait, s...

English: Team work

Teamwork (software)

Stronger, more productive teams are comprised of individuals who know how teams work, how to make them work better and how they can best contribute. If individuals don't have the proper skills to be an effective team member then productivity of the team is compromised. (Katzenbach, 1998)

2.3 Team Building

It's important to realize that the development of effective working relationships among staff is a gradual process which requires considerable time and skill, this is not meant to discourage team members,