The Benefits and Limitations of Teamwork

Businesses are always striving to find ways to increase productivity without un-necessarily increasing costs or stress on employees. Teamwork can be an effective way to build morale and foster a collective attitude among the workforce, but it has limitations. A business that is considering implementing teams should do so after careful planning and consideration of teamwork benefits and limitations.

When employees work together toward a common goal, they often take pride in the job they are doing and become motivated to meet each others' expectations, as well as the management’s expectations. Teamwork presents opportunities to learn new ideas and to get to know the other members of the team on a professional and personal level. This can boost morale and productivity in the workforce.

Teams must be created carefully, however, and forming a cohesive team can be a troublesome task. Not every employee is suited for teamwork. Some employees may feel bitter about having to work with a team and conflict can develop. Further, teams function best when there is synergy among the workers and their respective abilities, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Individuals do not always think alike and sometimes problems can be solved in many different ways. The chances of coming up with creative and workable solutions increases when a team of employees is working together to solve a problem. Of course, the team needs to communicate among each other effectively and not be afraid to voice opinions.

In light of the potential benefits, teamwork can actually stymie productivity. Some employees may simply not carry their weight in the group, forcing other team members to either pick up the slack or risk falling behind schedule. Management must periodically review the team efforts and be sure to carefully look at whether the workload is being evenly distributed among the team members.