What are the secrets of effective teamwork in a professional organisation?

When asked, most professionals would probably declare that they always strive to do their best, to be of service, and hope to have recognition by their clients.

If we are all interested in the same things at an individual level, is this not enough when we are part of organisations or teams to provide effective teamwork? Is the individual motivation of every member, as strong as it may be enough to ensure the effectiveness of the team or the organisation? Reality shows it is not. Because all individual motivations should be connected. However, for a connection, we need connecting links. In my view, the connecting links are shared values and priorities, the individual’s perception that they are part of a higher mission, which the organisation/team genuinely and consistently follows and a shared purpose with the other members.

1. The values and priorities are transparent in every decision taken by the organisation on a day-to- day basis. If one member genuinely feels that values like respect, honesty, trust, intention to support each other, motivation to constantly improve and desire to bring quality work are present in the decisions taken (no matter how small or big), and he shares these values himself, he will feel connected and be much more effective in any team inside the organisation.
   
   
2. The individual’s perception that they are part of a higher mission, which the organisation/team genuinely and consistently follows. Most organisations nowadays establish and declare an organization’s mission, but they are not following up on whether their members identify with that mission or whether their following actions and decisions are consistent with that mission. The interest to follow up, review constantly and fine-tune the direction of the mission could prove very useful for higher effectiveness inside the organisation.
   
   
3. A shared purpose is the third element of effective teamwork in an organisation/team. If the team members follow individual interests, their connection will be superficial. However, if they identify a shared purpose, their connection will be stronger and much more effective and their individual strength multiplies to the number of team members sharing the same purpose.

For some years already, many specialists assist organisations with programs/workshops, where all the members of a team are present, and they contribute to identifying which are the specific links for their team. Choosing such a process could bring more awareness about what are the challenges that impede the growth and effectiveness of the organisation. In addition, it might help the organization move toward a more purposeful path, which would benefit itself and the entire economic and social environment around it.

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