Effective Teamwork in the Workplace - Essay Example

Successes are not singular, everyone on the teams is celebrated when goals are met and projects and tasks are accomplished. This can raise company morale and individual self-confidence. When teams function at optimum potentials it can lead to faster productivity, positive interactions, and encourage greater collaborations and camaraderie.Unfortunately, as with all things, nothing is perfect. There are still pitfalls that can occur when teams are implemented. There are issues that can occur within the team that can undermine the team dynamic.

Firstly, are the personal feelings and ambitions of team members that can cause rivalries within the team’s efforts. There are, also, the potential of a team “slacker,” which enjoys the team's successes but does little to contribute to them. The worst, however, as I see it, is team competitiveness. When individuals lose sight of the overall professional goal, in favor of ways to outshine other members of the team, often referred to as “top dogging.”(Jones, 2010) In my experience, it is these individuals that will be the fastest to claim responsibility to claim full responsibility for the best ideas, any successes, and the quickest to pass blame others for setbacks and failures.

Teamwork is effective but only when everyone on the team realizes that the professional goals are what matters, and personal ambitions and praise seeking is hardly beneficial.I do not believe that a team organization in the workplace is a fantasy. The only way that the concept could ever become a fad is if the individuals within the teams diminish productivity and efficiency that then becomes a burden rather than a benefit to the company. If corporations want to continue with successful team effort structures then they need to fortify those structures.

It is important for management to remain involved in choosing the right team members, identifying all team goals and expectations clearly, and when necessary, removing those who are weakest and are disruptive to those professional goals. That said, team organization in the workplace should be encouraged and can continue to be a successful business strategy.