Teamwork skills are interrelated abilities that help let you work effectively in an organized group where there are two or more persons.
Basically, teamwork skills are vital to employers, as teams are a basic organizational unit within many companies. Teamwork happens when people cooperate and use their individual skills to achieve common goals.
It is usually said that talent wins games but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
In reading this, you would understand what teamwork is, the importance of teamwork, and examples of teamwork that would look great on your resume.
Table of contents
What are Teamwork Skills?
Teamwork skill is a collaborative effort you will contribute in a group towards achieving a common goal or the completion of a task in the most effective and efficient way.
Research has shown that teamwork is one of the most sought-after skills in the workplace, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Technology has created several collaboration apps, allowing businesses to be more connected when distanced. As a result, it’s even more important for employees to demonstrate strong teamwork skills, in both face-to-face and virtual team interactions.
Teamwork skills simply imply the fluency with which you work with others. The better you work with others, the more successful your team will be in achieving their goals. Being a team player is a valued skill for most jobs.
How to get Teamwork Skills?
Everyone is different. In seeking teamwork skills, you have to understand that you would be working with diversified people who are different from you in terms of point of views, skills and histories. You can improve or build your teamwork skills through these steps-
- Know Your Goal- When you find yourself in a team where you are supposed to show off your teamwork skills, the first step is to know what your goal is in the time. By this, you should find out what your contribution to the group is and what you are responsible for. Every individual in a team may have their own smaller goals to reach. Everyone should know their goals and what they are responsible for.
- Clarify Your Roles- Like stated above, everyone must know their goals. This isn’t enough. You must clarify your role to the tiniest detail and ensure you fully understand it. By understanding, you can help to avoid anyone overstepping boundaries.
- Have a Positive Mindset- To get anything done effectively, you need a positive mindset. If you feel like you can achieve and boost your teamwork skills, then you definitely can. A positive mindset also means that people feel able to address anything that comes their way.
- Manage Time Efficiently- In a team, not only are roles assigned, tine for a role is also attached. You must ensure you complete the tasks assigned to you timely to avoid jeopardizing the efforts of other team members.
- Share Enthusiasm- Everyone feels better when they receive positive feedback. It’s really important to celebrate one another and share enthusiasm.
- Establish Team Rules and Purpose- In your team, you should feel free to share your opinions and speak candidly with one another in a team.
- Do not complain- Complaining is wasted energy. More often than not, a complaint is just a problem that has a solution. Rather than complaining about it, you can work together with your team to solve the issue.
Why have Teamwork Skills?
- Teamwork skills is important for the success of all businesses.
- Teamwork skills brings new ideas. A lot of people putting minds together to create something always turns out beautiful.
- You need to work well with others for a lifelong and successful career.
- Teamwork skills helps solve problems. Brainstorming o issues ensures that teams exchange ideas and come up with creative ways of doing things.
- Teamwork skills creates a system to ensure that deadlines are met and that there’s high quality work. When one team member falls behind the deadline, if other team members were not solely hoping on him, the rhythm can be picked back up really quick.
- A team that works well together can succeed together and produce great results.
- Teamwork skills builds morale. You’ll feel that your work is valued when you contribute to something that produces results.
- Teamwork skills makes work efficient because the roles can be split into simpler ones, then everyone works together to complete them faster
- Also, teamwork skills ensures that the teams self-monitor
- Teamwork skills can create healthy competition because everyone literally work towards a common goal and strives to reach their designated tasks before others.
- Teamwork skills would ensure that you take responsibility for your tasks in a project.
- Teammates learn from each other and as such, teamwork’s skills are essential because you can learn from others.
- Teamwork skills also improve your communication skills. You would tend to listen better, take instructions better and hence be able to offer more support and ideas.
How Long Does it Take to acquire Teamwork Skills?
The length of time it would take for you to fully learn teamwork skills depends on you.
However, for the basic knowledge, it can take as small as a month but two years to fully master it.
Teamwork skills are really important. The earlier you start to learn them, the better.
Top 15 Teamwork Skills
#1. Conflict Resolution Skills
Conflict is part and parcel of any team effort. People are different and could all want different things at a time. You should be able to easily deal with conflicts concerning teamwork at any time.
What matters most is how adept you are at dealing with issues as they arise.
Having this skill would ensure that you are one of the most important persons in the team as people would mostly look up to you when conflict arises.
#2. Rapport-building and listening skills
This skill involves having a close and harmonious relationship where you fully understand the feelings of other members of a team.
You can only build rapport if you’re listening to other people’s voices.
This skill is important because it creates a good sense of understanding and trust.
#3. Decision-making skills-
In a team, conflicts are bound to arise which would bring up the need for decisions to be made. It is usually a difficult thing to do when opinions start to differ and you need to make an unpopular decision.
What distinguishes great team players from the average ones is the ability to see the big picture, put their egos aside, and work towards a common goal.
Having a discerning skill and constantly making good decisions has a way of endearing you to the hearts of your teammates.
#4. Problem-solving
The very idea behind organizing a team is to solve a problem. That’s why problem-solving skills are fundamental for each and every team member.
The ability to look at an issue from multiple angles and utilize your time problem solving skills on the basis of individual team member’s skills drive the entire team’s performance and success.
#5. Organizational and Planning Skills
Organizational and planning skills are both very important teamwork skills you should possess.
To solve any problem effectively and efficiently you must be able to devise a master plan that every team member understands, follows, and knows where it leads to.
Maintaining an organized workspace can improve both your mindset and that of the team members and also ensure your productivity.
#6. Persuasion and Influencing Skills
Persuasive and influencing skills enable to you change the behaviors, beliefs or attitude of someone or a group of persons. It is a very important skill to have where it concerns teamwork.
Being persuasive isn’t a character trait. It’s a skill you can learn. In the context of teamwork, this applies mostly to team leaders who must inspire everyone to contribute to achieving team goals and objectives.
#7. Reliability Skills
A team consists of two or more persons who rely on each other to get a task done. It entails doing what you say you will do.
This teamwork skill is mostly personal rather than interpersonal. When working together as a team you depend on the others as much as they depend on you.
Show your reliability by sticking to deadlines, delivering your tasks, and over communicating any obstacles along the way.
#8. Respectfulness
This skill entails have a courteous regard for people’s feelings. It is the characteristic of being respectful. Being respectful does not take anything away from you.
Being respectful towards other people doesn’t mean you have to like them or agree with them.
Show your respect by not taking anyone for granted, and listening to them actively. Respectfulness is a very important teamwork skill you should strive to master.
#9. Tolerance
Tolerance and respectfulness go hand in hand. Be open-minded and eager to learn.
You would deal with people of different ethnicities, religions, or minorities and you must be able to can endure their differences.
This teamwork skill entails that you are patient, understanding and accepting of anything different. It is a very important teamwork skill.
#10. Time Management
Time management is a very important aspect teamwork. In a team, you must have manageable goals which must be able to be reached within the specified period.
You must be able to manage your time effectively to ensure that you don’t fail your team members who are looking up to you for your part of the deal. It is a very important team work skill.
#11. Critical thinking
Critical thinking allows you to make better, more informed decisions. It can be tempting to follow along with whatever the group decides, or what one team member believes is the best course of action, but sometimes a different approach or a new idea can help achieve better results.
By thinking critically about the situation, examining all sides of an issue, reflecting on past experiences, and listening to what other group members have to say, you could arrive at a breakthrough that moves your team forward in new and exciting ways.
Critical thinking is one of the most important teamwork skills.
#12. Collaboration
Working in a team can be challenging at times, but more often it is a great opportunity to uncover creative ideas, share different perspectives and experiences, as well as enhance your own skills.
If you treat each group project as a learning experience, you can help foster a more productive team environment.
Your desire to learn and your willingness to explore new approaches will make you a better contributor, manager, or leader.
#13. Leadership skills
This skill is your ability to influence and guide people.
A leader who works well with others both within his or her own department and across departments, can help spread knowledge and resources, develop new leaders, and contribute to an organization’s success.
#14. Empathy
As a member of a team, this is one of the very important teamwork skills for you to master.
It entails being considerate and kind and also putting yourself in the shoes of another. It shows that you are in tune with your place in the team environment.
#15. Delegation
Delegation is the skill needed in clearly assigning tasks and deadlines to team members.
Every team needs a member with delegation skills to ensure that the job is properly assigned and everyone gets a portion that properly suits them. Delegation is a very important teamwork skill.
FAQs
There is no right or wrong answer to this as each person’s view will be different. But, your response will help the employer see if your view matches their idea of what makes good teamwork.
If you have tolerance skills to effectively work with others, then you can work in a team.
Tolerance skills, critical thinking skills and time management are the most sought after teamwork skills.
Conclusion
Teamwork is a cooperative process that allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results.
Such synergy is only possible when all team members know what their roles are, complement each other’s skills, and are committed to team success.
These teamwork skills are important for you to master. I hope reading this has enlightened you.
References
- https://www.herzing.edu/blog/
- https://zety.com/blog/teamwork-skills
- https://www.youthemployment.org.uk/
- https://yti.edu/blog/
- https://www.brighthr.com/articles/
- https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/
- https://www.thebalancecareers.com/
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