Editorial
Teamwork
Teamwork –
strengthening the chain
By Ross Geraghty
There are numerous idioms in english that refer to the importance of teamwork: ‘A chain is
only as strong as its weakest link’ - the phrase that spawned an international TV quiz sensation.
How about ‘a whole is the sum of its parts,’ and another famous one: ‘there is no i in team’.
et teamwork is one of the most progress business. It seems blindingly obvious motivating for the team members and allows
Y
elusive topics in business, and to anyone who has ever been involved with them to achieve results that individuals
theory divides opinion, ironically, sports or even amateur dramatics that cannot reach by themselves.”
more than any other. It might successful teams will improve any number of Russell Boren, a plant manager in
seem like such an obvious point: different facets of the task in hand, such as Alabama, USA, agrees: “True teamwork
surely it’s easy to get a great group of people, get creativity, efficiency and morale. In business means no team member is more
them all to work together, give them all defined terms this translates into increased or less important than the
roles, make sure they’re well rewarded and then commercial success; happier staff, happier other; they just have
reap the results as the project comes to clients or customers and, ultimately, different jobs. It
fruition? increased profitability. may be an
However, like many things, it’s not that This is not to suggest that individual absence,
simple and there are hundreds of books and leadership or efforts are
countless opinions available on how to get not relevant or
the most from the team; How to create the important, but that
best team? How to motivate them? How to even more can be
provide direction? This manifests itself across
the spectrum of human experience, not just
in business: sport and theatre are
training, illness or lack of
understanding of a problem. If any one
member of a team is affected, the others will
pick up the slack and continue the process.
In my opinion, without teamwork no
achieved company will ever reach its potential.”
when several But what exactly is teamwork? Susan
t w o individuals are working towards the same Heathfield in “Trust rules! The most
areas that goal. Andrea Maietta works in the insurance important secret” (available at http://
spring to mind. industry in Milan, Italy: “A good team can be humanresources.about.com/library/weekly/
What is much more than the sum of the individuals aa041401a.htm), provides five helpful
generally agreed is the forming it; it has a better creative potential teamwork tips and puts the onus firmly on the
importance of teamwork to and can better tolerate efforts, it is highly manager and not on the team:
24 TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com

TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com 25
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