“To work together for a common goal. To respect the goal of the team. To sacrifice for the goal of the team. To treat team members with respect.”
This interview is reaching out to a broad audience to help me (and you!) get a better understanding of just what people actually think about teamwork and how it impact their lives. I hope you enjoy it and maybe gain an insight or two.
Interviewee Profile
1) What is your official job / position title?
EMT
2) What is your direct supervisor’s official job / position title?
Paramedic
3) What industry do you work in?
Healthcare
4) How many years have you been in your current industry and job?
7
5) What are 3 to 5 of your most important skills, specialties, or areas of expertise?
CPR, Skills of first responder, Firefighter skills
Interviewee Responses
01) Describe (in your own words) what you think ‘teamwork’ means.
To work together for a common goal. To respect the goal of the team. To sacrifice for the goal of the team. To treat team members with respect.
02) Think about a person you feel needs team-building training. How do you think this training would help him/her?
Teaching this person to leave things as they found them will teach respect and increase safety. Teaching this person that others have professional needs as well will help thew person to grow both professionally and personally. Teaching this person to respect others opinions would help this person grow both professionally and personally.
03) How do you think teamwork could help a company or business?
It helps by uniting workers for a common cause. It reduces communication issues. It motivates people. it allows for monitoring of people and projects.
04) Describe a teamwork / team-building exercise or event you’ve been through at your work, school, or during training.
A program where we go and burn down an abandoned hose and have triage exercises is the best for me. We decide before hand who will do what and agree on that. Then we discuss who will operate what equipment. We assign people to observe and take notes. Then, we do the exercise. Doing this exercise is meant to build trust, increases skills and identify weaknesses so that they can be improved.
05) Explain at least 1 thing you’ve learned from a team-building exercise and how it has helped you.
People will work together if they believe in what they are doing. I learned that I must do work that I love, and be around like minds and people I trust. To find this in work is rare, IMO. This lesson helped me to grow personally and professionally.
06) Think back to a team-building exercise you did NOT enjoy. What do you feel could have been improved and why?
“Sensitivity” training was the worst I have experienced. I think it is an insult to tell me how I should think and behave to ‘get along.” I am a fully grown person with full ability to treat people with respect. I detest any type of thought control.
07) Describe what you like most about team-building efforts and training.
The trust that develops among your peers. There is the regular day to day that builds some trust. However, exercises outside work duties really give people a chance to feel like a team and make more friendly gestures.
08) What are a few things you like least about team-building efforts and why?
The sometimes ridiculous “motivational” speeches that sound fake and hollow to me. The fantasy that the world is just a wonderful place and we need to be happy all the time. The sometimes off subject goals presented.
09) When learning about team-building, would you rather read about it, listen to a trainer, watch training videos, or physically participate in an event? Describe why you feel that way.
Physically participate. IMO, this is the way to go. Watching can be valuable but with my work it has to be doing it. The work requires that people physically work together. watching or listening is only half a effective, IMO.
10) Pretend you are asked to give a quick team-building presentation at work. What are your first couple of steps to get prepared?
Make an outline. Talk to others about what is needed. Organize people for certain duties, and call meeting. Clear exercise with superiors. Make final outline and goal list. Proceed to activity.
11) In your opinion, what type or personality of person do you think could benefit most from team-building efforts?
The person who is invested in the team and takes work seriously. The person who may not fully understand the concept of team work. The person who wants to improve and grow. The person who desires to support his team and people on that team.
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