Most leaders assume that they need to foster teamwork among the people whom directly and indirectly report to them. Teaming is now seen as the workplace equivalent of motherhood and apple pie — invariably good. The problem is when leaders try to drive the wrong kind of collaboration on their particular teams. The result: wasted time and unnecessary frustration.
When Is Teamwork Really Necessary?
Ask yourself if the work is truly interdependent.
August 16, 2018
Summary.
Too many leaders push their direct reports to work as a team when that sort of collaboration isn’t really necessary. Instead, they must ask themselves: “Am I managing a high-performing group of individuals or a high-performing team?” After determining the level of interdependency among reports, leaders must then determine what role they continue to need to play as a team: Collectively, should they be agenda setters, integrators, execution drivers, talent developers, diplomats, role models, architects, or trailblazers? Meetings and group work should then be timed and tailored accordingly.