“Teamwork is at least two people working together to reach a common a goal. Whatever issues may arise in differences in opinion on how to reach a goal, compromises are made so that the team can be successful. Teamwork often includes a sense of personal identification between people but it does not have to. It can be strictly at a professional level.”
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?
Machine Floor Supervisor
2) What is your direct supervisor’s official job / position title?
Location Manager / Regional Supervisor
3) What industry do you work in?
Manufacturing
4) How many years have you been in your current industry and job?
3.5
5) What are 3 to 5 of your most important skills, specialties, or areas of expertise?
Coordination of employees and duties, in-depth knowledge of the different machines the company uses, personal identification with employees.
Interviewee Responses
01) Describe (in your own words) what you think ‘teamwork’ means.
Teamwork is at least two people working together to reach a common a goal. Whatever issues may arise in differences in opinion on how to reach a goal, compromises are made so that the team can be successful. Teamwork often includes a sense of personal identification between people but it does not have to. It can be strictly at a professional level.
02) Think about a person you feel needs team-building training. How do you think this training would help him/her?
One of my employees has a personal wall up around him. He is bi-lingual and of Hispanic descent. Nobody, as far as I know has ever done or said anything to him to make him uncomfortable or not feel like he fits in with the group but it seems he has experienced this in the past. He is unwilling to get close with others and basically remains as a loner as much as he can. I think team-building training might lead to him opening his eyes more and being okay with the fact that he is culturally different from most of his team.
03) How do you think teamwork could help a company or business?
Teamwork leads to higher productivity as there are some things workers either cannot do alone or do better with teammates. It also brings different perspectives into how tasks are done and when some of these principles are adopted, the overall efficiency of a business can increase.
04) Describe a teamwork / team-building exercise or event you’ve been through at your work, school, or during training.
The best teamwork exercise I ever had was when I was a retail associate in a previous job. The manager put together three teams and we had a store scavenger hunt. We had to find different products as well as items with exact prices when we were only given the price. It was fun, brought people together, and it helped us get to know where items in our own store were located.
05) Explain at least 1 thing you’ve learned from a team-building exercise and how it has helped you.
I learned over the course of my life to accept people’s differences and opinions through teamwork-oriented settings and exercises. Sometimes people say things I once would not have considered. What they have to say is often something I use to better my self and how I do things.
06) Think back to a team-building exercise you did NOT enjoy. What do you feel could have been improved and why?
I once had a boss that had his employees come over to clean his house because “it would build good teamwork skills.” Everyone saw through it. I think he got the idea from the movie “Coming to America.” Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall’s characters had to spend a night serving people at their boss’s party. There really was nothing productive that came out of it other than for the boss. He had a party that weekend. In terms of how it could have been improved, it just should have never happened.
I also don’t particularly like more common team-building practices which involve watching dull training movies and then answering questions about the video as a team. That could be improved by having an actual speaker instead of a terrible video.
07) Describe what you like most about team-building efforts and training.
I like people for the most part so working together with people brings me enjoyment. I like getting to know people the most when it comes to team-building efforts and training. It leads to friendships and increased work productivity. It can also put co-workers on the same level so their work together is more fluid.
08) What are a few things you like least about team-building efforts and why?
1. Some people are very difficult to work with period. Either they don’t want to open up or don’t like people in general.
- Some bosses seemingly baby their teams when it comes to handling a team-building project.
- The think I dislike the most is when a boss appoints a leader of a team on their own. That should be the team’s decision.
I believe all of these things are simply detrimental to how a team can work together and some of them strip teams from either making decisions or being able to come together to make the best decisions.
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.
I would rather physically participate in an event when learning about team-building. I am a hands-on person that learns best through experience rather than just watching.
10) Pretend you are asked to give a quick team-building presentation at work. What are your first couple of steps to get prepared?
I would prepare a script involving people who are working by their selves. They are not able to complete their job because it requires more than one person. I would then write a small speech about the key important aspects of teamwork and rehearse it several times. I would then plan an activity for the workers to do in teams. I would likely organize an employee meal to finish everything.
11) In your opinion, what type or personality of person do you think could benefit most from team-building efforts?
People whom tend to be distant and think they are capable of doing things best on their own are the kind that would most benefit from team-building efforts.
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