Advanced Connections

We all know that team work is essential to reaching goals and building an exceptional service culture, yet too often we fall prey to barriers that can keep us from performing as one. It's important to remember that being an effective member of a team takes individual responsibility and effort to both recognize and handle problems as they arise.âY0

Common teamwork barriers

• Conflicting goals. Goals should be clearly stated and agreed upon at the beginning of a project and regularly checked as work continues. Knowing you're all headed in the same direction will help you build on each other's work and reach goals faster and easier.

• Communication breakdowns. It may not be possible to eliminate these completely, but you can reduce them by committing to continuous learning. No one person has all the answers. We can all learn something from each other.

• Withholding information. Sharing information allows for better communication and understanding. Don't be an information hog; share your knowledge. You may have the exact fact someone else needs to do his or her job well.

• Lack of follow-through. When one team member doesn't follow-through, it damages everyone involved, including customers. Excellent customer service means helping each other –– treating one another as internal customers to help external ones. If you can't make good on promises to your fellow team members, how can you deliver on promises to your customers?

• Lack of trust. Team members should have confidence in each other and in their ability to get the job done. And if they don't, they should be able to talk with each other about it.

• Unmanaged conflict. Conflicts are part of life; instead of ignoring them, welcome conflicts as an opportunity to share different viewpoints. You may just get a fresh perspective and some new ideas.

So while it's true that more can be accomplished as a team, there is a price to pay for this achievement. Teams don't gel without effort. And overcoming teamwork barriers takes an individual commitment as well as a well-coordinated team approach.

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