Every professional must be a team player ready to go the extra mile hand-in-hand with their partners. After all, the personnel is the foundation of a firm, successful company, the elementary core of a bigger structure.
Today, the power of these abilities is undeniable. Today, CEOs and employment experts recognize that a motivated team is an unstoppable workforce. And the best part, every person can have, develop, and reinforce these capacities.
And if you look to develop yours and your partners’ teamwork skills, or if you seek to strengthen your skillset for your job hunt, you’ve come to the right place.
Types of Teamwork Skills
Let get this clear: teamwork skills are diverse and uncountable. However, three sorts stand out as the most important for businesses:
- Organizational skills. These talents are paramount to manage teams, arrange the space to work, carry out projects, or calculate the bills, whether for the workplace or the life out of the office.
- Persuasive skills. The talent to convince is a one-of-a-kind gem in every kind of business regardless of its size. Leadership, attentiveness, and empathy, amongst others, are considered must-haves for the highest roles.
- Soft skills. These include every kind of interpersonal talent. They balance technical skills, such as software, specialized knowledge, and second languages, resulting in exceptional team members.
Why? Because businesses live and prosper in human relationships. In turn, because those people are the most enthusiastic, able to learn, and willing to take on professional challenges.
Moving on.
Effective Team-Working Skills
The three teamwork skills groups mentioned above englobe a myriad of abilities to work, live, and coexist with other human beings.
Now, let’s break down –in no particular order–the most desired organizational and persuasive capabilities, beginning with:
1. Communication
Picture this: you deliver a message with instructions to Mark. the manager of the sales department. Mark has to explain that message to the staff. But as Mark misunderstood your indications, all the sales department repeat the same mistake, producing unimaginable chaos to you, Mark, and the whole company.
Terrifying, isn’t it?
In simple words: communication is everything.
If you know how to explain, detail, give instructions, or just talk openly, you can avoid countless issues in your workspace, even if you work remotely.
It sounds like a very known fact, but even the most talented professionals tend to forget it.
2. Leadership
Beyond those motivational phrases about leadership bombarding your Instagram and LinkedIn feeds, this is –possibly– the most appreciated teamwork skill for professionals.
Think about it: positive leaders can move the needle and reinforce or reinvent a team’s scope. They inspire people around because of their proactivity, supporting and guiding rather than humiliating their partners, creating a healthy environment for all the staff.
That’s a lot of advantages for the productivity stats.
3. Problem-Solving Capacity
If you check an average job opening, you’ll realize that most of them have phrases like “we need a problem-solver able to think outside of the box” or “…who comes up with new ideas, and that’s not a coincidence.
Problems are inevitable for both computers and human beings. Sooner than later, you’ll have to deal with stressful, chaotic, out-of-control situations and be able to stay in control.
The truth is that no matter the industry, everybody loves and needs a problem-solver, a creative person able to cope with the worst-case scenarios, able to find the gaps, and offer solutions.
4. Organization
As well as the communicational abilities, the organization itself is the backbone of every successful strategy in the long run. Likewise, it’s the foundation of harmony and efficiency within and outside the workplace.
Organization means results, excellent ones, from entry-level applicants to managers and directors.
5. Collaboration
Today, it doesn’t matter if you’re an extraordinary expert in your area if you’re not willing to assist your colleagues.
Tip. Remember this: a collaborative attitude opens thousands of doors and makes you the partner that most partners would love to work with.
Taking over too many responsibilities at the same time leads to burnout. On the other hand, sharing them through collaborations reduces the stress on team members, producing more productivity and satisfaction at working.
Soft Teamwork Skills for Management
Although related to management, the following teamwork skills are fundamental in everyday-life situations.
Let’s continue with the list:
6. Active Listening
This teamwork skill is especially related to communicating.
Active listening consists of not only hearing your partners speaking, but also engaging, paying close attention, taking notes, analyzing, and absorbing as much information as possible.
Active listeners can sit silently during a whole meeting to get the most details. Yet, this skill is also about taking the word when necessary, asking for clarifications, and not hesitating to manifest when you need more explanations. And finally, about making sure you listen to others when you’re leading the conversation.
7. Honesty
Not surprising, is it?
The thing is, being honest isn’t only about being as sincere and crystal clear as possible. It’s also about correctness, objectivity, transparency, openness recognition, and loyalty, amongst other qualities.
A honest workspace generates the most enriching discussions and debates, not heavy or condescending talks where one person is always right, but talks where diverse opinions are respected and mandatory.
8. Reliability
Showing responsibility, dependability, and commitment is vital for every team member in every company, from the humblest newbie to the most important execs.
Every company needs to have a trustable team, one in which each member demonstrates trustworthiness and compromise.Can you imagine a company where nobody knows what’s going to happen with Jane, who hasn’t shown up for three days and doesn’t answer the calls? Or can you picture an office where Carl delays all team members because of his laziness?
(You’ve most probably been here).
The horror!
That’s why reliability is a must when it comes to teamwork skills.
9. Respectfulness
Most of the interpersonal abilities are nothing without respectfulness. This quality is more than a teamwork skill, it’s the basis of human relationships. It’s key to communicate, lead, be honest, and so forth.
Professionals who can control their pride and be humble to listen, learn, and accept their mistakes, who can understand and tolerate different personalities and points of view, and who prefer not to brag, are highly valuable for every workforce.
And those teammates, managers, and CEOs who prefer to be silent when succeeding rather than humiliating gain the most respect.
10. Empathy
Last but not least.
Empathy is key to grant equity, tolerance, and justice to the workplace. Wearing other’s shoes is paramount to understand their problems and difficulties to help them out.
Empathetic professionals are better at organizing, communicating, actively listening, and leading. Likewise, they can think outside of the box to realize what partners are struggling or having a bad time at the work.
As a result, they’re the builders of a communicative workplace where respect and honesty reign the scene. Not to mention that empathy is primordial in every type of work related to dealing with customers.
The company team working with the stickers
How to Improve the Teamwork Skills at Your Workplace?
Now that you know ten of the most critical team-building skills, take a look at four techniques to incorporate them into your company or workplace:
- Provide encouragement and feedback. This is essential when it comes to empathy and respectfulness. Every member appreciates encouragements and rewards. And believe it or not, feedbacks will help you gain respect and trust from your colleagues, as long as you remember to be sincere and respectful.
- Define roles and rules. When too many people have their hands on the same responsibilities, authority starts blurring, whereas disorganization comes in. Roles and rules allow you to define a functional work structure. Long story short, they’re part of the recipe for an organized company.
- Take responsibility. There’s a saying that reads: “to be a good leader, first be a good follower.” Long story short, leading with the example is the only way to take the lead. And if you look to build teamwork skills in your company, this aspect is fundamental.
- Communicate openly. This tip englobes all the teamwork skills so far. Good, respectful, and reliable team players talk openly to solve problems, collaborate, organize, and demonstrate respect and empathy. So if you want to be a game-changer, this is the first step.
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