Or, like the Italian spaghetti western film, Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo which starred Clint Eastwood.
Jinglei: Can you give me some examples of good teamwork?
Felicia: The two most important aspects of teamwork relate to how you treat others and how you act yourself.
Jinglei: Well, that’s logical. But, how would each play out?
Felicia: If you treat others well, you would listen to their opinions. You also wouldn’t insult or be rude to them or talk behind their back.
Jinglei: What else is considered good teamwork?
Felicia: A person who knows what he or she must do and who completes these tasks also illustrates good teamwork. In other words, this individual is accountable.
Jinglei: Can a boss or other leader also demonstrate good teamwork?
Felicia: Absolutely. If you lead a team, group, or division and want to have excellent teamwork, you’ll make sure that each member of your organization knows the challenges you’re facing, how your group will address these issues, and his or her specific role in doing so.
Jinglei: Oh, so if you’re a leader who wants to show good teamwork, you make sure that both you and every member of your group knows both the big picture and what he or she is accountable for.
Felicia: Exactly. You can’t have good teamwork if only one person understands the problems and the strategy to address such obstacles. In fact, that’s the opposite of teamwork. Additionally, if there’s a good team, its leader knows how to help his or her members get along and, as needed, resolve differing opinions and even conflicts.
Jinglei: Now let’s consider the opposite of good teamwork—bad teamwork—can you give me and the listeners some example?
Felicia: There are many examples of bad teamwork. No doubt, we each have experienced several, if not many. But, I definitely think that three things characterize poor teamwork. First, if the company or boss keeps others in the dark—doesn’t tell others about the problems or opportunities they’re facing or how to handle these situations—that often leads to bad teamwork. Second, if a team leader or member demeans, insults, or is otherwise rude to his or her teammates, that also results in poor teamwork. Third, if a team leader or member regularly blames others for his or her failures instead of taking responsibility, such passing the buck often contributes to ineffective teamwork.
Jinglei: What about people who are always playing politics at work?
Felicia: You’re right. I almost forgot that one. Yes, people who are primarily focused on themselves typically do what’s helpful or advantageous for them—even if it’s detrimental to the team. Political players can easily bring about bad teamwork by causing hostility between themselves and others who are more focused on the team’s success—not just their own.
Jinglei: We’ve talked about the good and bad aspects of teamwork. What about the ugly side of teamwork?
Felicia: The ugly side of teamwork can result from someone manipulating others in order to benefit only himself and, at times, even hurt his colleagues.
Jinglei: Can the ugly side of teamwork also stem from naivete? In other words, if a team or its leader isn’t savvy about his company’s politics?
Felicia: You’re right again. If a team leader or its members don’t understand the things they must do in order to get things done at their company or at a client’s firm—or, conversely, what they must NOT do—the result can be ugly teamwork. Sometimes, a team or its members who has such a negative experience or is burnt in this way, never really gets back on track.
Jinglei: And I guess that if a team isn’t able to recover and learn from its mistakes, it won’t have another opportunity to demonstrate teamwork.
Felicia: That’s true. Hopefully, our listeners will find our comments useful as they build or participate in teams wherever they work.