Is it a fad?

Cinderella

Had an interesting assignment in school the other day (for those of you that don't know, I work in HR and am currently finishing my bachelor's online at the same time). The question was, "is teamwork a fad?"
Kind of curious what you all think of this. Is your company very teamwork focused? What about your department? How do you feel about working in teams? Can a person who hates working in teams survive in HR?
Cinderella

mdm

I have to say the my company is not very teamwork oriented most of the time. It depends on what it is and who it affects. As for my department, we work as a team frequently. Things wouldn't get done around here otherwise. I'm not sure whether or not a person who hates working in teams would survive in HR.

Just my thoughts.

deniseE

I always hated group work!!!! But, I do well in a group that is made up of people really working toward the same goal...

My company...overall-NOT team oriented. We tend to splinter into specialties and groups and the culture works very hard to keep everyone separate. Very little cross training goes on.

KAMINSKI

I think the answer to your question is in your definition of team work.
If one works with others as a team to promote the company quest, mission etc. that is one thing.
I do not think employees lose their individuality when they work as a team player in this sense.

HR is by nature a "private" job. Confidential information handling and all that tends to attract people who are the loner types when working except when "selling" the company philosphy so to speak such as during open enrollment time etc.

If teamwork is a fad then there must be another word for it now. Otherwise, I find it hard to contemplate that bringing pride in workmanship to people would have any purpose.

That's my 1.5 cents worth.

JM in ATL

I have to agree with what Kaminski said. It all depends on your definition of team work. I think every company has its own definition.

Ours is to work together to reach a common goal. We don't really have any "projects" that require a team to work on them, but we all work together to get the work done and help wherever needed whenever needed.

I hope it isn't a fad, b/c we have a great group of people who produce amazing work, working independntly and with the help of others.

Crout

What I've found is that most companies inappropriately use the word "teamwork," when all they really want to know is if the candidate can get along and cooperate with other people.

scottorr

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-20-04 AT 12:49PM (CST)[/font][br][br]I recently read a book about generational gaps. The research said that Gen Xers tend to be more team and task oriented and baby boomers tend to work better as individuals. So as far as the future of teamwork, the book predicted that as gen xers move into more management roles teamwork will become more of a focus.

rad

My company is large and very team oriented. HR often works in teams because not everyone knows about all the functions. We have to have teams to be sure we are covering all aspects on certain projects.

Cinderella

Thanks for your thoughts everyone! I agree with many of you - it depends on what the company's definition of teamwork is and the culture, etc.

Myself, I've always hated "group work" because I've had too many experiences where it has been called "teamwork" but it was really only one or two of us pulling the weight.

I find that if I'm paired with one or two people to work on something I do fine, as long as they have a strong work ethic and pull their weight. Anything larger than that and I feel like I'm at a bad cocktail party.

I often have to resist saying "just give it to me and I'll do it!"

I have heard similar things about Gen-Xer's being more team oriented as another poster. However, as a Gen-Xer who would rather work individually, maybe I'm the black sheep?

Cinderella

scottorr

Satistics only show us generalizations. I'm sure there are plenty of boomers who enjoy working in groups. It really boils down to how the company perceives "teamwork". Some companies view "brainstorming" as "teamwork" where a bunch of people share their ideas but one or two do the work. I, in general, like teamwork that is prctices properly. Where everyone gets to share their ideas and everyone has a part to play in the completion of the project.

mwild31

Well now, that's quite a crystal ball kind of question isn't it? x:-) In my opinion, I don't think it's a fad & I think in 10 to 15 years time, it will be the norm in most workplaces (excluding those that are or will become fully automated). I base this belief on what will become an upsurge in Lean Principles outside of it's present industry niche (manufacturing) and how this thinking will no doubt influence and come to shape the service industries as well. Lean promotes teamwork. Just my thoughts.

Don D

Our corporation is big on Japanase concepts, lean organization, Kaizen events, value streams, Kan Bans and strategic deployment. As such, all of our processes are based on the principle of 'work cells'. Work cells by definition consist of two or more people working, cross trained, as a team, constantly, throughout the entire shift. Teamwork in this context is certainly not a fad. Fads are fairly time limited aren't they. Teamwork has been an industrial buzzword for what, 40 years? Bellbottoms were a fad; teamwork is not time-defined.

mwild31

Well said - much better than I x:-)

Cinderella

I thought it was worded oddly myself. In school we talk a lot about how everyone is on so many different committees, teams, project groups, blah, blah, blah. Plus now so many are on "virtual teams" where the members sometimes don't ever meet face to face and it can be quite a challenge. A lot of our text books talk about how in future years everyone will be on some sort of team and most of them will be "virtual". Since business moves so fast now, you have to be quick to market, run lean, etc. which as other posters have said is indicative to working in a team format. So I suppose the question was asked to prompt the students into recognizing these factors about business and learn that teamwork is not a fad, if it is/was we are in big trouble. I still hate it though.

Cinderella

Don D

You hate teamwork? Have you looked into Library Science?

Cinderella

Too much schooling required for Library Science or else I'd do it in a heartbeat I've also dreamed of owning a bookstore...

I don't hate it all of the time...just when I'm in a team where others won't pull their weight, communicate professionally, or take responsibility for their actions. 90% of the teams I've been on in work and school have included some or all of the above. In those cases, I do hate it.

One of my courses right now is "Virtual Team Collaboration," right now I'm in week 3. I'm hoping to learn some tips and tricks on how to be a better team member myself as well as how to "deal" with teams that I dread. Should be interesting.

Cinderella

Leslie

My boss is chasing her Bachelor's and sometimes she gets on these teams where no one pulls their weight. I sometimes think I'm a better team member than her classmates as she's crunching a project that's due tomorrow! Many of her classmates are gen X-ers. Based on her experience (and thereby mine!) I'm not sure what you say about them being more team oriented is true. (And it's NOT orientated!)

Cinderella

Uh-oh the spelling police are here! 8-}

I've heard Gen-Xer's are more team oriented but I'm a Gen-Xer myself and would rather work on something alone or with just one other person.

Cinderella

Don D

I hate to be the pricker of bubbles; but, if you hate teamwork, you will have an awful lot of difficulty functioning in an environment that requires it. And you will have even more difficulty teaching and supporting the concept in your training responsibilities in any H.R. Department. On the other hand, I have known H.R. people in small organizations, who were a department of 'one' who kept their door shut and cranked paper and pretended to be involved with facility objectives, but who were miserable. Any organization that has one or more objectives requires some degree of comraderie and teamwork. Ain't no way to avoid it. Take another look at library science. Just think, you can pull your hair back, get some horn-rimmed glasses and sit on a stool in a large, quiet room with no interraction for 8 or 10 hours at a time. All you have to say is 'shhhhhhssshhh!' occasionally. And in your quiet time you can pursue a PhD on the internet. Keep us posted. But wait, involving US requires teamwork.

Cinderella

Oh Don your not pricking any bubbles. I know that any work requires some teamwork, I just don't like teams that are staffed by those that don't pull their weight. If I were to choose between the latter and doing something alone, I would choose to do it alone. I'm not a big, mean hermit....just an introvert with a strong work ethic. x;-)
Cinderella

Don D

Tell your computerized teacher this and you'll get an 'A': My problem is not with teamwork, but, with teams that don't work.

sonny

Exactly and if you find yourself on a team with folks that aren't pulling their weight, there are ways to deal with it. . if you have had good team training. By the way, why do you allow others not to do their part? Not saying this is you Cinderella, but there are people in this world who do it all themselves because they won't delegate and LET others do their share.

SMace

Sonny is exactly right. Team work is not about putting people together and saying finish this project. It is also about learning how teams work together and being able to make the team click. If you end up doing all the work in a team because their are slackers, that is not team work. Using team skills to get the slackers motivated, that is team work. One of the reasons teams fail so often and people get a bad view of them is because there is no support in developing teams. One day a manager says your all a team. Then the manager shuts their door and starts reading the Forum.

marc

In an age of increasing specialization, teamwork will be even more essential than it has been in the past. Just as important, it takes some generalists with a vision to bring the specialist together to work toward a common goal. The HR person will not do the engineering and the finance people will not make the production lines work efficiently and the material control staff will not get everyone paid. I don't want to belabor the obvious, but there are very few businesses of any size that do not heavily rely on teams. I do not just mean special projects, but top management is working with teams every minute of the business day.

So, I do not thing they are a fad, I think teams are the integral part of business. And yes, a person who does not like teams can survive in HR,--- just not very well.

Study hard, you will be degreed in no time.