Teamwork / Individual work /

Session 1
Collaboration

Session 1

Teamwork / Individual work /

Collaboration

Handbook
 Teamwork / Individual work /
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Overview

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
2. History......................................................................................................................................... 5
3. VUCA ........................................................................................................................................... 6
4. Teamwork versus Individual work........................................................................................... 10
5. Teamwork versus Collaboration .............................................................................................. 16
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1. Introduction

What is Teamwork?

Choose the correct answer.

Combined efforts, or the actions of a group, to achieve a common

☐
purpose or goal.

☐ Respect for individual contributions.

Work done by several associates with each doing a part but all
☐
subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.

☐ Clear communication.

Would you be surprised to learn that all descriptions above are true? Teamwork is
a very complex term and covers a lot of different concepts which means that the
term is used in many situations.

Teamwork basically describes the effort of a group of people working towards a

common goal. It can be a sports team, music band, the army, your class, a study
group, the government or if you just think about your family as a team that is also
a great example. Before we go into the details, let’s see what makes a TEAM:
“The team consists of two or more members who are mutually dependent on each
other and interact with each other in order to reach a common goal through
working together.
This is exactly why teams (formal or informal) are formed, because we might not
be able to solve something on our own or satisfy our needs as individuals but
sharing responsibility with our team members helps us get closer to the solution.”
(Gyula Bakacsi, Szervezeti magatartás és vezetés - “Organisational behaviour and leadership”,
published by Aula in 2004)

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During this course, we are going to focus on teamwork in terms of work and
business but the knowledge you will gain by the end of the 12th session will help
you become a better team member in any organisations that you might be part of.

Companies have started to look at teamwork from a different perspective. The

reason for this shift in the mindset is that today's companies would like to operate
their businesses in the most efficient way which leads back to the original idea of
the team. A lot more can be achieved with the combined effort of people working
as a cohesive group.

The more you will understand how teams operate, the more likely you will be able
to work in a team in a way that is beneficial for you and for your team as well.

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2. History

We might think that teamwork has become popular in the 21st century only, but it
is not true. There are some great examples going back in history. Just think about
the deployment of the Roman army in an attack strategy.

Let's go even further back in time.

Then we can say that the pyramids
would not exist without teamwork
and collaboration.

We can even go back to prehistoric times where

the primeval inhabitants of the globe also went
out to hunt together.

Teamwork is the concept that people work together as a

team. In the 21st century, as humans in general become
more sophisticated and society becomes more technical,
working as a team becomes an ever-greater advantage in
task completion. Rapid advances in technology have
created an environment where you cannot help but be exposed to the Internet,
smartphones and social media on a daily basis. This completely new pace of life
has created a set of new challenges that must be addressed in the working
environment as well.

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3. VUCA

Have you noticed how our lives and work have become volatile, uncertain,
complex and ambiguous? Can you recall a time when you faced uncertainty in
your team? When you didn’t know what would happen next? Or how your team
would be able to solve a complex problem?
The United States Army War was one of the first organisations who used the VUCA
acronym to describe the phenomenon of the new challenges that Western
workplaces face day by day.

But what is VUCA?

The MindTools’ Managing in a VUCA World article sums it up is quite well:
([Link]

 Volatile – change is rapid and unpredictable in its nature and extent.

 Uncertain – the present is unclear and the future is uncertain.
 Complex – many different, interconnected factors come into play, with the
potential to cause chaos and confusion.
 Ambiguous – there is a lack of clarity or awareness about situations.

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Let me explain the four distinct types of challenges through an easily

understandable example:
The story: Imagine if you are going to study abroad. There are many things you
have to take into account before moving to a new country. There are also things
that can happen that are difficult to predict.
Volatile: Due to reorganisation of your chosen university, the location of the
campus has changed and it has been moved to a different city. Did you see this
coming?
Uncertain: You cannot predict how moving to a
foreign country would affect your relationships at
home. Would you be able to keep in touch with all
your friends?
Complex: You want to study abroad, but in order to
be able to do that, first, you need to check out the
unique and different rules/regulations (taxation,
education, public transport etc.), cultural values of
the country. Does it seem complex to you?
Ambiguous: You have made your decision to move
countries and leave your old life behind, but you will
be facing the unknown. Do you know for sure how
this will work out?
Taking these factors into consideration, today’s leaders are forced to introduce
new leadership approaches if they want their team to successfully overcome the
VUCA challenges and become an efficient team. It is not enough if the members of
a team are agile, motivated and skilled people they also have to have answers for
change, uncertainty and the complexity of the world.

The key message of VUCA is:

If we are to face these challenges on our own, as individuals, they can be

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overwhelming and too much to cope with, but if we face them on a team level,
they can be broken down into chewable bits.

Takeaway:
When picking a new member of a team, leaders and HR people will test and
challenge their competency of teamwork. It has become a crucial factor that
candidates should take seriously and therefore should aim to develop this
competency along with other important skills (etc. hard skills)
As you progress in taking the online sessions, keep this in mind and think about
how you could develop your VUCA competencies/skills to become the best team
player ever.

Now that you know what teamwork and VUCA are, it is time to focus on a
different aspect that is equally important, because without individuals teamwork
cannot exist. In the next part you are going to learn about teamwork versus
individual work.

What is VUCA?
by Drama class VISTA college – Art, Theatre and Media

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VUCA – Task
(click on the right button to give your opinion)

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4. Teamwork versus Individual work

You might have worked in a team before. In a job interview you are often asked:
"Do you prefer to work individually or as part of a team?"
If you were asked this question at the moment, what would you respond?
Experts say that working in a well-organised team relationship can achieve better
results. Different cases require different approaches, you may achieve different
results by working on your own and working in a team.

Team vs Individual
(Formula One Pit Stop)

It is therefore often possible to find the right match between the two. The great
thing about teamwork is often the team's output is greater than the sum of each
member's individual contribution.
Yet it is important that the individual also plays a very important role during
teamwork. The concerted effort helps to achieve the set goals by bringing
together the strengths of different individuals.

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Formula One
We all know that in Formula 1 sport every second counts. The team effort of
changing tires is a great example of teamwork. Look at the video and/or picture
below and try to think of the main message here. Why do they have to be so
efficient as a team? What do they win by it?

The tire change during a Formula 1 race:

When changing tires, it is a teamwork of three people with each tire, namely:

The first person (wheel gunner) uses his drill to loosen the wheel nut

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The second person takes the tire off (wheel off)

The third person puts on the new tire (wheel on)

The first person (wheel gunner) again ensures that the wheel nut is tightened
with his drill

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TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

Video pitstop Red Bull

world record

By now, you must have understood why we picked F1 as an example. Every single
member of the team works towards ONE common goal, they are committed to
achieve it, everybody has a clear expectation towards their team members,
everybody knows exactly what their role is in the process. We can also say that the
more effective your team is, the more time you can save.
This is one of the biggest advantages of teamwork.

Now that you have got an idea of what teamwork is and why companies try so hard
to put a great team together, let’s see what the actual pros and cons of working in
a team are. Can you think of any ideas yourself?

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TEAMWORK

 Working in teams increases collaboration and enables brainstorming. As a

result, more ideas are developed and productivity improves.
 Two or more people are always better than one at solving problems, completing
difficult tasks and enhancing creativity.
 Everyone is unique and has different skills, backgrounds and experiences. That's
why others on a team can help you see things from a different angle.
 Teamwork stimulates communication between team members. For this reason,
relationships between employees are generally better and employees learn to
communicate better over time.
 Builds trust and loyalty.
 Improves the way how people feel at work.

TEAMWORK
 Working in teams increases collaboration and enables brainstorming. As a
result, more ideas are developed and productivity improves.
 Two or more people are always better than one at solving problems, completing
difficult tasks and enhancing creativity.
 In some teams, there may be members who sit back and let others do all the
work.
 Uneven amount of workload.
 Conflicts can arise in these types of teams and this can affect the mood of others
on the team.
 Working in a team requires many meetings and these meetings, if not managed
properly, can deviate from the topic and reduce the efficiency of the team.
 Decisions can take longer to reach consensus. That is why delays occur.
 Different working styles collide.
 One is always dependent on their team members’ individual performance. The
work of the individual team members is judged by the team’s success and
efficiency.

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INDIVIDUAL WORK

 You can work at your own pace, not depending on anyone else. You can
decide what you want to do and when.
 You can concentrate more easily and work faster. Working on a familiar task
can speed it up because there are no external interactions and additional
meetings.
 You get all the credit for the work you do, as you work alone! There will be
no situations where someone does less, but gets the same credit from
others.
 You can make your own decisions.
 The only person you need to trust is yourself.

TEAMWORK
 You are solely responsible for the job. If you fail, it is your fault. There are no
others who can be blamed.
 You have to motivate yourself. There are no others who motivate you to get
things done.
 You can get bored all alone. There is no one to talk to, exchange ideas or get
help.
 If you work alone, if you get sick or have to take days off, the work will be
delayed because there is no one to continue it for you.
 No opportunity to brainstorm
 One cannot share workload.

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5. Teamwork versus Collaboration

Bringing a few people together and giving them a job is not enough to form an
effectively functioning team. Teamwork enables individuals to work together
efficiently to complete tasks and achieve goals. Creating a good work environment
can affect the performance of the team.
In teamwork, a group of people fulfil their individual roles to contribute to the
achievement of a goal. This requires a lot of consultation between the team
members and the managers to coordinate the action in order to achieve a good
result.

TEAMWORK
Teamwork requires a leader who has the authority to resolve disputes, for example.
Or a leader who can ensure that tasks are performed in a structured and
coordinated manner. And the leader must ensure that all team members make a
valuable contribution and, if necessary, expel incompetent members from the
team. In short, the leader is responsible for team performance.

Example:

OVMK is an engineering company that produces electronic

devices. Recently OVMK decided to set up a project to design
and develop a new prototype. A project team is formed
including employees from each department and the team is led
and managed by a project manager.

But even when there is a common goal, teamwork is not self-evident. A number of
conditions must first be met:

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 Emotional involvement
A team is only a team if the team members are emotionally involved with
each other and with the goal.
 Respect for expertise
Team members must respect each other for their expertise. In various areas,
there must be a leader who has the most knowledge and experience in a
specific area and who is recognized by the rest.
 Play area
The team members must have the possibility to consider together what is
necessary, what should be done first, and what the costs and benefits are of
an action.

Let’s consider another example, when different departments are supposed to work
together to achieve a set goal. Are they a Team? Can you say that when different
teams collaborate they become one huge, massive Team?

Example:

OC is a cosmetic manufacturing company that recently

faced a reduction in sales from an international
competitor. A team from the marketing department
conducted market research and came up with a
number of possible changes to the current range. As a
result, they worked with the manufacturing and
research and development departments to execute a
plan to implement the changes.

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How collaboration
leads to great ideas
by Drama class VISTA college – Art, Theatre and Media

COLLABORATION
Collaboration is a partnership in which two or more parties work together to
achieve a common goal, share work, ideas and insights. In a partnership, the
parties should not only work together, they should also think together. All parties
are equal partners in a collaboration; so there is no leader.
Effective cooperation often leads to added value, whereby coordination between
ideas and useful insights from both parties is essential for success. Collaboration
can be internal or external to the organisation.
These separate parties/departments/teams etc. collaborate less closely and
intensively than one dedicated Team!

Internal collaboration.
This is where the teams from different departments within the same company work
together to achieve a specific goal.
In the case of collaboration between different departments, this can also have a
conflicting effect, because, for example, the purchasing department thinks it has a
completely different interest than the sales department or customer contact.

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External collaboration.
Collaboration can occur externally when the company enters into partnerships
with other companies to form an alliance. This can take the form of a merger,
acquisition or joint venture.

Example:

Standard Chartered Bank acquired activities in

the Middle East and South Asia from ANZ
Banking Group in 2000 to increase its market share.

NOTE:
To really get projects off the ground, it is best to invest in teamwork. Because
loose collaborations often do not get off the ground. And if they do get off the
ground, it is because the collaboration meets the requirements of a team. So it is
best to set up a team anyway.
Source: Harvard Business Review

Teamwork versus Collaboration

Teamwork Collaboration
Team is a partnership in which a group Collaboration is a partnership in which
of people perform their individual roles two or more parties work together to
to contribute to the achievement of a achieve a common goal of sharing work
goal. or ideas and insights.

Teamwork is internal to the Collaboration can be internal or external

organisation. to the organisation.

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Teamwork is performed for a particular The scope of a collaboration is wider

partnership of limited transformation. than group work involving many
This usually concerns a limited number individuals.
of people.

The reason why we highlighted the difference between teamwork and

collaboration is to understand that in both entities people would collaborate, but
the intensity of collaboration would differ. Imagine yourself in the shoes of a
leader:
a. You must coordinate a Team (of 10 people)
b. You must coordinate a Collaboration (of 10 different Teams)
Which sounds more effective?

Teamwork and collaboration are equally important in the life of a company, they
just play different roles. To make things easier, we are only going to deal with
teamwork in the following sessions.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

The Art, Theater and Media Department of Vista College hosts a performance
each year, “Nieuwe Honden” ("New Dogs"), which showcases all the methods of
Teamwork, Collaboration, and Individual Work discussed in this session.
Watch the behind-the-scenes video of this performance and recognize these three
methods for yourself.

Behind the scenes

by Drama class VISTA college – Art, Theatre and Media

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BASIC OF TEAMWORK
After having learnt about the basics of teamwork versus individual:

What did you like in particular about this session?

What is your attitude towards team or individual work?

What are your strengths and weaknesses having reflected on your own
teamwork? Here is a self-assessment test that will help you identify your
strengths and weaknesses in terms of teamwork.
Now that you have identified your strengths and weaknesses let us
introduce you to the topics of the following 11 sessions. Which topics
would be the most relevant for you? What are you the most curious
about?

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Word Search

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