Have you ever been part of an organization or work group that hummed along like a well-oiled piece of machinery, happily working together towards a common goal? A group where everyone knew their jobs, everyone got along with everyone else, and life was good? If so, whether you were aware of it or not, you were probably part of a work group (a team) that was the product of a successful management philosophy.
This past year in RMSA, we have seen more cases of disunity within our smaller members than ever before: claims of harassment, discrimination, unlawful dismissal, personality conflicts, staff vs. elected officials, etc., etc. Employee stress level in these towns is high, there is no harmony in the workplace, goals are not clearly defined, and staff motivation is low or non-existent. These are serious problems but there may be a simple solution.
Whenever people get together to do complex jobs, such as running city hall, there must be a clear division of duties; staff must be trained and motivated. It takes a team effort ... leaders to establish goals, and skilled, motivated staff who are willing to accomplish those goals.
So this article is my perspective of how a team should work, and I encourage all department heads and supervisors to review your work environment in light of this perspective. Understanding my views on teamwork may give you some ideas on how you can develop your own work group into a team that can work more efficiently. Life is too short to spend half your waking hours at work if it is not a pleasant experience. Time at work should be personally productive and self-actualizing.
A good team is essential to high morale, staff longevity.
If staff is happy in their jobs, they will tend to stay in that job despite the lure of higher compensation in neighboring towns. To many people, job satisfaction is more important than a slightly higher salary. If you want your staff to be efficient and effective, they must feel that they are important to the mission; that they are doing something worthwhile; and they must all get along with each other. Employees put a high value on job satisfaction. If your staff does not look forward to coming to work each day, the problem could be the work environment; the absence of a clearly defined team structure.
A work organization can be likened to a baseball league ... many departments within city hall vs. many teams in a baseball league. The basic subdivision of an organization is the specialized department that is within that org. i.e. Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Police Department, Fire Department, Clerk/Treasurer’s Office, etc., and within each of these departments are work groups of employees with special skills that are overseen and guided by a supervisor.
It is within each of these work groups that teamwork plays a vital role. From the mayor or city administrator down to the seasonal employee who cuts the grass on the baseball field, each staff member has a specific job to do and the total outcome of the group’s goal or mission is often directly related to how well each member does his or her job.
Teamwork wins the game.
Baseball teams are made up of players and coaches. Pitchers, catchers, first base, second base, short stop, etc. Each player has a specific job to do. When he errs, the whole team suffers. Players back each other up to prevent these errors. When a player gets down on himself or when he commits an error, the other team members rally around to give him emotional and psychological support. If he continues to make errors, the coach may give him extra training or switch his position to another assignment where he can contribute to the team’s success.
As each team member is important to a winning season, the coach is just as vital. The coach must ensure each player has proper training to play his position. The coach motivates and encourages. He moves the team’s position on the field in response to a particular batter. The coach knows his team and substitutes players to meet special situations such as pinch hitters and substitute base runners when the game is on the line. The coach must see the big picture and make strategic moves.
Clear communication is essential too. If the pitcher is off the mark, he makes a trip to the mound to see what is wrong or to offer advice. The coach speaks to base runners and batters via sign language. He calls for a squeeze play or a sacrifice fly when it is necessary to the success of the game. Players and coaches must be on the same sheet of music. Without a well defined system of clear communications, how can the players know what the coach wants them to do? If you take a close look at a championship baseball team, you will see all these attributes in action.
Teamwork promotes an all around good working environment.
Just so in the work group... staff (players) should be supportive of each other and be able to fill in when someone is out of the office (player substitutions). They must help each other to meet deadlines if necessary (back each other up). They should rally to the aid of each other when one is emotionally down (pep talks, encouragement). Sometimes, closed-door sessions are necessary to bring an errant employee back to the team (sign language).
The supervisor (coach) must have a grasp of the big picture and know what is going on with his/her staff. Do they need training? Are they overworked? Are they unhappy? If the supervisor does not address these situations, his team will not function well. Clear, open communications are essential to the well being and success of a work group. The supervisor must tell them why they are overworked and offer a solution to the situation. The supervisor must ask them why they are unhappy and again, offer solutions. And certainly, training is necessary from time to time in this fast paced, technologically advancing environment within which we all work.
One person seldom makes a team.
Although one could argue that a walkoff home run by an individual batter wins the game, it took a team effort to get to the bottom of the ninth inning so that the batter had the opportunity to hit the homer. There are heroes within each team from time to time, and these heroes should be recognized: Certificates of Appreciation, performance awards, simple recognition in front of the other members of the team (even better is recognition in front of the whole organization). Team members must rally around each other and it is the coach’s job to ensure that this happens.
Communications, communications, communications... clear, open talk about goals, job descriptions, work schedules, benefits, responsibilities, expectations, perceptions, and everything else is absolutely vital to the health and success of a team and the entire organization. A team is only successful it they work together and they can only do that if there is a skilled coach or manager to ensure everyone is doing their job and is getting along with each other.
A coach is only as successful as the team he surrounds himself with.
Each team member must play his/her part to ensure a winning season. But there is no person more vital than the coach (supervisor). A coach with no people skills will not field a winning team. A team is made up of human beings who have feelings, expectations, goals, desires, problems and everything else that is human nature. It is not enough that a mayor, department head, or supervisor has program management skills. He/she must have people skills. It is the players who get the job done but it is the manager who makes the decisions regarding game strategy and guides the actions of the team.
So I challenge all supervisors (and elected officials) to take a new look at your responsibilities. Are you accomplishing the job that you have been tasked to do? Are you happy with your job? Do you look forward to the challenges of work each day? If the answer to each of these questions is not a solid YES, then perhaps you need to take a look at your team. Keep them happy and your job will be much less stressful and much more productive. Meet their needs if possible and don’t step on their toes without good reason. It’s not enough that you are good at setting schedules and attending meetings. If you want to form a winning team, you must develop leadership skills to manage your people. It takes a coordinated team effort to win a ball game and winning only happens when everyone on the team wants to work together.
Originally printed in the September-October 2008 edition of Managing Your Risk, a bi-monthly publication of the AWC RMSA. Reprinted with permission.