“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.”
– Steve Jobs
A Project Manager knows the power of teamwork; it underpins every aspect of their role. Successful projects are completed by a talented group of people who work collaboratively to achieve a common goal.
Teamwork and project management go hand in hand. Projects require a multitude of skills and are often bound by tight timeframes, which is why drawing together the talents and expertise of individuals supercharges your ability to deliver a quality outcome, on time and on budget.
Teamwork is often something that happens organically, without us truly qualifying its value, especially in a project management context. We’ve put together our top teamwork benefits that we believe are well worth taking the time to consider.
1. Creativity
Projects are not always straight forward. Teams have to brainstorm and think outside the box to come up with creative solutions. It’s easier to spark off other people’s ideas and come up with creative solutions collectively rather than individually.
Team members have a lot of shared knowledge between them; it’s worth making the most of that and cultivating creativity as a core value of any team.
2. Risk-Taking
Teamwork has the potential to encourage calculative risk-taking. Taking risks on your own is daunting; it’s often not worth the professional consequences of failure. However in a team environment, the responsibility is shared and there is support from other members if things don’t pan out.
3. Diversity
Teamwork brings together complementary strengths and diverse career experiences. Tapping into this diversity of talent can lead to more successful project outcomes.
4. Accountability
It’s often hard to maintain your motivation when you are working in isolation. Being accountable to a team who are working toward a common goal has huge benefits for productivity in a workplace.
In some ways it could be seen as informal peer pressure; the feeling that you don’t want to let your colleagues down. When you are working with people you respect, you don’t want to disappoint them.
5. Project Momentum
Keeping a project on time is critical; sharing the workload amongst a team while also utilising individual strengths vastly improves the chances of keeping a project moving.
6. Solutions Focused
Many minds are greater than one. There are complex problems that are encountered in the progress of a project. You can’t resolve issues alone – but you can with the wisdom of a team.
7. Encouragement and Support
Working in isolation isn’t much fun. There’s only limited satisfaction in patting oneself on the back day after day! When you’re working as a team, you can encourage each other and motivate the entire team to keep working. There’s also the added advantage of seeking help and guidance when you have hit a roadblock in the project process.
We should never underestimate the value of team work. In real terms, it amplifies the results of each member of a team in such a way that the overall result is greater than the individual contributions made by each member.
Project management papers offered at eCampus NZ teach students about the importance of growing great teams. We delve into the latest research and specific techniques to enhance your project management skills when it comes to teamwork. To learn more about our Certificate and Diploma courses visit our website: www.ecampusnz.com