"TEAMWORK, TEAMWORK, TEAMWORK"

One of the most frequently used words in sports and business must be teamwork. Greater success or more victories can be achieved if we play or work together as a team. So what do you think is the rating to one of our Employee Opinion Survey questions regarding teamwork, “Is there good cooperation between departments?”

a. 55%
b. 65%
c. 75%
d. 85%

Choose one on the poll to the right and click the link below to check your answer.

I am sorry to report that the average favorable rating received from non-supervisors is 55%.

Supervisors’ and managers’ responses generated a 65% rating which is very poor considering they should be the ones who have the most power to create a team environment.

The reasons for the lack of teamwork can be endless but like any organizational issue we need to look toward the top to find a solution. It is at the top where leadership styles, organizational structures, reward systems, or other barriers to teamwork are created or approved and passed down. Thus the challenge for those organizations wanting to improve teamwork is to seek an objective method of identifying the root causes for poor cooperation and develop a plan to eliminate them. This may not be as much fun as having your managers join in a “team building” exercise, but it is the more long lasting approach to addressing the problem and not the symptoms.

Maybe we can help provide an objective analysis and recommendations for improvement.

"The Survey Says" is written by Richard Reinhardt, Vice President of F&H Solutions Group. You may contact Richard by email at rreinhardt@fhsolutionsgroup.com or by phone at 901.291.1546.