PUBLISHER ‘S CORNER If you’re a sports fan like me, you have probably been following one of the many championship events
recently, like the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals and Euro Cup Soccer. Ten, later this month, the world will be watching the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. All these winning teams and athletes involved have something in common: they are all working together to accomplish a common goal. Tey want to reach the pinnacle of their sport’s success. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships,” NBA legend Michael
The Power of Teamwork
By Tony Corpin
tony@stnonline.com
Jordan once said. You have certainly heard the saying “Tere is no ‘I’ in the word team.” Tis is as true today as it
has ever been. In any business, teamwork is a key component of success. You may be able to have a few superstars, but they aren’t nearly as effective until they are being supported by the team. Teams need selfless leaders who take responsibility for getting things done. But if a few team members shoulder the majority of the burden, employee burnout can result. As student transportation pro- fessionals, we all should be working toward a common goal of supporting our teammates. One way of accomplishing this is by providing recognition. Student transportation managers
and supervisors should remember to prioritize employee recognition and to ensure a positive, pro- ductive, innovative organizational climate. Provide employee recognition to say thank you and to encourage more of the positive actions and out-of-the-box thinking that you believe will make your organization successful. People who feel appreciated are more positive about themselves and their ability to contribute. People with positive self-esteem are your best employees. Be sure to create goals and action plans for employee recognition. You want to recognize the
actions, behaviors, approaches and accomplishments that you want to foster and reinforce in your organization. Establish employee recognition opportunities that emphasize and reinforce these sought-after qualities and behaviors. Fairness, clarity, and consistency are important in employee recognition. Managers need to remember that true collaboration, however, is a problem that plagues com-
panies when trying to develop a team environment. It becomes a problem because individuality is rewarded more often than team participation. Managers must be able to develop ways for employ- ees to grow and develop as a team. Team building is not always the easiest task to accomplish, but by incorporating the following five tips listed into your operations, you just might build the most effective team. • Form teams to solve real work issues and improve real work processes • Hold departmental meetings to review projects and progress • Build fun and shared experiences into the organization’s agenda • Use icebreakers and fun team-building exercises • Celebrate group successes publicly Fostering teamwork should be a top priority for all leaders. Te benefits are clear: increased
productivity, improved customer service, more flexible systems and employee empowerment. But is the vision clear? To effectively implement teams, leaders need a clear picture of the seven elements high-perfor-
mance teams have in common. According to Suzanne Willis Zoglio, Ph.D., the author of “Teams at Work: 7 Keys to Success,” great teams rely on commitment, contribution, communication, coopera- tion, conflict management, change management and connections. Commitment to the purpose and values of an organization provides a clear sense of direction.
Team members understand how their work fits into corporate objectives and they agree that their team’s goals are achievable and aligned with corporate mission and values. Commitment is the foundation for synergy in groups. Individuals are willing to put aside personal needs for the benefit of the work team or the company. Te next time you are watching an elite sporting event, see if you can find examples of these rules being put into motion on the playing field. How can you instill these same values in your team? ■
98 School Transportation News Magazine July 2012
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