UK businesses risk scuppering productivity and profits by failing to support effective team working.
Almost half of the 2,030 UK employees surveyed by talent development firm Cedar felt their organisation did not help develop team working practices. Meanwhile, 37% of respondents said they preferred working alone, suggesting that businesses needed to do more to encourage employees to share ideas and build trust between co-workers.
Cedar chief executive Penny de Valk pointed out there was a strong link between high-performing teams and high-performing organisations. “A lack of adequate training and support for effective team working has a potentially damaging knock-on effect on business productivity,” she said.
The survey identified team leaders as a vital cog in creating effective teams, ensuring staff have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and how they fit in the bigger picture of team goals. Regular team meetings to talk through team performance and team social events were all initiatives that would help create a team atmosphere.
Many leaders, however, were falling well short of these ideals. The report noted that 42% of respondents said their team leader failed to assist in resolving conflicts, damaging their team performance. A further 42% noted there was a lack of trust between members, while a third of respondents simply dreaded coming to the office because of the toxic environment.
“We were concerned by research results that suggested UK employees do not feel well supported by team mates, with 54% saying their biggest time-waster was sloppy work that needed re-doing. For teams to work efficiently and happily together, every person must be equipped and motivated to pull their weight,” said de Valk.
