The complexity and nature of some work makes it difficult for an individual to complete assigned tasks effectively. For this reason, companies form teams of people with complementary skills who work together, pooling experience and accomplishing common goals. As employees coordinate their efforts in a mutually supportive manner, a company benefits in many ways, including increased performance in work production.
Esprit de Corps
Team members interact on a continuous basis for the duration of a task or project. In the process, employees develop friendships and a sense of unity. As an esprit de corps develops, team members build a sense of fellowship, common interests and commitment to the accomplishment of the team's objectives.
Job Satisfaction
Working together, team members pool their complementary skills and experience, which may improve each employee's individual performance. In turn, improved performance may increase job satisfaction, enhancing an employee's self-esteem and the joy he finds in his work. As an individual enjoys his work more, he becomes more motivated to perform well and becomes more effective in his work.
Resource Utilization
When people with complementary skills mutually cooperate to accomplish goals, the employees complete work faster than otherwise would be possible. Using teams, multiple people can work simultaneously to complete individual tasks, which reduces the time required to complete specific activities and increases the speed with which primary objectives are accomplished.
Creative Environment
Establishing a team consisting of individuals with differing experiences and backgrounds increases the creativity of individual team members and the group as a whole. Brainstorming within the team may produce novel ideas and optimal solutions. In addition, the team environment may improve trust and communication between members; this contributes to a more open environment in which creativity is supported and encouraged.
Learning Environment
Individual team members serve as educational resources to other employees in a team environment; therefore, questions may be answered more quickly and concepts more rapidly understood. In addition, the group may avoid certain mistakes, which improves the efficiency and reputation of the team. As employees become more knowledgeable, their confidence and attitude improves, as does their job satisfaction. The employees also may come to focus less on the negatives of work and more on work outcomes.
Communication
Customers and business partners may find it easier to communicate with a team rather than a number of individuals working in isolation. In a team, all information regarding a work product can be gathered across disciplines and combined so the need for each individual to make multiple presentations to a number of different employees, customers or business partners is avoided. Synthesizing information also facilitates decision-making because redundant or fragmented information is reduced or eliminated.
