Teamwork concepts and effectiveness

Education - Teamwork

TEXT for THREE POWERPOINT SLIDES on TEAMWORK

Examples of Teamwork in the Animal World:

Common in predatory animals

Typical in hunting behaviors

Allow group to exceed individual capabilities

Also typical in pair-bonded parenting behaviors

Requires coordination amongst group members

Requires communication amongst group members

Suggested visual image: wolf pack, lion pride, or family group of Orcas]

Slide 6 Notes:

Predatory animals such as killer whales, dolphin, lions, and wolves rely on teamwork extensively.

Hunting, in particular, requires teamwork amongst group members to achieve the collective goals of the group and those of the individual group members.

The primary advantage of teamwork is that it allows the group to accomplish much greater objectives than possible for any individual group member to achieve individually.

Teamwork also allows pair-bonded teams consisting of two individuals to share parenting responsibilities. Typically, one parent protects the pair's young while the other hunts for food.

Coordination is a crucial component of teamwork because it permits individual group members to focus on specific tasks.

Communication is equally important because it permits the assignment of individual responsibilities.

Slide 7 - Examples of Teamwork in military organizations:

Military organizations employ teamwork principles extensively

Chain-of-command is a form of teamwork

Coordinated teamwork requires task-specific specialization

Teamwork allows much more complex objectives

Suggested visual image: soldiers in combat situations, aircraft carrier operations, or a composite picture showing various branches of the military]

Slide 7 Notes:

Military organizations have emphasized teamwork throughout all of recorded human history and probably predate the most ancient societies of which we are aware.

Chain-of-command hierarchical structure is a form of teamwork that facilitates the collective objectives of the group.

Military objectives require the coordination of multiple tasks, each of which fulfills a specific role that enables others to focus on specific responsibilities.

Modern military operations and equipment are extremely complex. Teamwork allows the group to perfect complex and complicated component operations that far exceed the capabilities of any individual working alone.

Slide 8 - Research of teamwork issues:

Sociological observation, psychological experiments & organizational evaluations

Peer-reviewed journals, academic textbooks & organizational evaluations

Multiple sources provide the best information

Suggested visual image: a research situation depicting a researcher and subjects, books and periodicals in a library, or a sociologist amongst a different cultural group]

Slide 8 Notes: