Teamwork. It’s a popular word. We hear it a lot at work and outside of work as well. Teamwork is needed for the completion of projects that require different areas of expertise to be successful. That sounds great, right? On paper it does. In reality, it is complicated.
Each team member has a specific task to perform at the same time each member has their own way of completing the job. I learned that it is important to state clear agreements, and deadlines in order to successfully complete the project. Here comes the tricky part: Not everyone will follow the agreements or respect the deadlines. There are people who need constant supervision, and there are also those people who can complete the job independently. It takes time to identify these behaviors. It is also unfair to judge everyone the same.
Each person has challenges to overcome and a way to work with others. So it’s not the same for someone with kids working in your group, as well as it’s not the same for a person studying a Ph.D. degree. When distributing the assignments to team members, one should take these into consideration by simply having an open meeting to discuss the extent of involvement of each team member. If it's not possible try to talk with each team member individually to know their background and what they think of their position. Encourage discussion and commitment within your team. There are several ways to do this: schedule monthly or bi-weekly meetings, share content and ask for feedback, make sure everyone knows the importance of the project.
Successful teamwork needs patience. In the end, the achievements of a team will surpass the achievements of one individual. We will always need someone to help us with something. Even one that tries to work alone will ask for guidance at some point.
