FBLA2 - Teamwork (Lesson)

Teamwork

Introduction

Have you ever been part of a team? Maybe on a school or community team project or as part of an extracurricular group such as an athletic team (football or soccer) or an academic team (debate or mock trial)? Teams are a part of our everyday lives. You are the member of a family team. Our ability to function as a team member begins there. Understanding what makes a good team member will impact your ability as an effective part of a team. Let’s begin this lesson by taking a look at some of the different types of teams or groups:

• Team - a small group that usually is given the power to make and implement decisions. Teams may be made up of a variety of people from different parts and levels of an organization or entity. 
• Advocacy Group - a group set up specifically to support, protect, defend, or lobby for a cause or group. Some examples of advocacy groups are: Green Peace, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), and GACTE, which is the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education, an advocacy group for career and technical education. 
• Policy Making Group - a group given the task of creating procedures that members of an organization must follow. An example of a task a policy-making group may be responsible for would be to decide which skills and level of education or training applicants should hold for particular positions with a company.
• Action Group - a group that is given a purpose to plan and implement a specific course of action. These team members are generally charged with solving organizational problems, such as developing products or improving the quality of products and services.
• Social Group - formal and informal; this is a group that someone joins for purely personal reasons. Social groups can exist independently or as part of an organization such as a company, school, neighborhood, or religious association.
• Committee - a group with a specialized task that is part of the basic structure of an organization. An example of a committee would be the homecoming committee at your school or a fundraising committee for a community park project.

 

What Makes an Effective Team?

As you reviewed some examples of teams and groups, let’s now look at what makes an effective team and what effective teamwork looks like. A team involves a group of people who are working together to achieve a common goal. Teams are a necessary part of any social and professional organization. Organization leaders who use teams know that they can provide very important benefits to the overall success of the organization. Benefits to the organization would include increased productivity, accuracy, creative energy, organizational commitment, and community presence. Members participating in teams also receive benefits. Participating on a team can help individuals in many aspects of their lives. This may include improving the conditions in which they work and in developing better social and professional relationships.

 

Review the following presentation to gain a further understanding of teamwork and what an effective team looks like.

 

Involvement in FBLA will help you to develop and practice teamwork skills. Being part of a team through FBLA could be serving on a committee such as a fundraising committee for your local FBLA Chapter, serving on an officer team as a local, region, state, or national officer, or maybe participating in a team competitive event. All of these opportunities help to build and strengthen teamwork skills. Georgia FBLA has many projects it has created to benefit not just its members, but the entire state. Many of these projects would provide you with another opportunity to be part of a team, or to help lead a team. 

 

Review

Review what you've learned by completing the activity below.

 

Takeaway and Sendoff

As you have read in this lesson, teams are a part of everyday life. It takes work, practice, and commitment to become an effective team member. It takes an equal commitment to turn the work of a group into effective teamwork. It takes that effective teamwork to get results and accomplish the ultimate goal. In a business setting most work is accomplished by teams of individuals. Teams are often used to accomplish tasks that are too large or complex to be done by an individual. Because of this, it is important that team members have the skills necessary to work effectively with others.

Why is Teamwork Important?

Take a look at more information about why teamwork is important. Click on each of the titles below to expand the information.

 

 

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