The times when the problems companies faced could be solved by one person are gone forever. Complex problems are being solved by entire teams of people and it is no longer true that one genius can achieve better results than a team. It is not a high IQ, but the ability to work in a team that differentiates the best employees from others.
That's the opinion of Jim Whitehurst, CEO of Red Hat, a leading provider of open source software for enterprise IT. One of its largest global branches is located in Brno, Czech Republic.
In an article on the Harvard Business Review website Jim Whitehurst pointed out several skills companies should set as priorities. Companies should train and reward these skills if they want to achieve a high level of teamwork and hence a competitive advantage.
1. Active listening
Good teams are made up of good listeners. An example may be taking notes at meetings. It is a way how superiors can show their people they are not afraid to admit that they don't know everything. Also, it facilitates communication afterward about what was said and how others understand it.
2. Honest feedback
Feedback in teams must be permanent and ongoing. You can't wait for an annual performance evaluation. Managers should lead their people to communicate openly with each other and not only to criticize, but mainly to praise each other. It should also be emphasized that feedback is not personal.
3. Success in the form of team contribution
Team players aren't afraid to say they don't know something. They talk about it and look for solutions with the help of their colleagues. Managers should also lead their subordinates to pursue team success rather than only promoting themselves.
You can read more about how Jim Whitehurst applies the rules of team work in practice in his book entitled The Open Organization which has just been released.
Book
WHITEHURST, J.: The Open Organization, Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2015. 256 p.
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