If Sauder left me with one skill, I can say with full confidence that it was how to work in teams. With no final exams and only group projects to present in my final semester of school, I can truly attest to the ups-and-downs and the dos-and-don’ts of teamwork. “What is the most important aspect to a successful team?” is a common interview question that I have always answered with “accountability”. This is echoed in the readings this week, where Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith termed teamwork as “…an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.” The inclusion of “mutually” was of particular interest to me, because it implies a higher level of understanding of team members. It suggests that no member should feel less inclined to complete their work to the best of their ability, regardless of the position (boss, coworker, intern) of who they may be reporting to. This idea stresses the importance of unity within a team; beyond establishing a common purpose and goal for the team, mutual accountability represents a common promise to each other.
In hindsight, I am grateful to say that I have had the privilege of working with several phenomenal teams. Teamwork is different in various circumstances – in the workplace, for a class project, for a club, or for a client. An area that I have found particular interesting is teamwork within a marketing setting; when teams must use their creativity to throw out campaign ideas and stunts. Marketing teams are unique because creative energy has great potential with numbers, meaning that the best result does not necessarily come from one leader dictating their idea, or even a small handful of people presenting their thoughts. I believe that marketeers that are quick-thinking, courageous, and critical will produce great ideas, and have put together a few thoughts from my experience in marketing teams.
When your team is tackling a campaign/challenge/creative block:
1) Do not be afraid to suggest ideas – fully planned, half-planned, or just a thought starter
2) Do not be afraid to question the ideas (including your own)
3) Embrace criticism and think quickly to devise follow-up questions or critiques
4) Use your teammates as a springboard and safety net – “Does this make sense if…” (As advocated in the aforementioned article, team members can help each other to do their job better)
5) Thought phrases like “I wish that…” can be completed by your team members
5) Laugh. Because there are bound to be ideas that, once thought through, are destined to flop.
6) Be excited! Because once you get that golden idea, you’re all in it together.
Best of luck to you and all of your teams in the last few weeks of the semester! To those of you I’ve had the pleasure of working with, thank you for all your hard work. I am continually inspired by the dedication and passion of the business people we have become.