interview question on teamwork

kirstycobie

hiya

i have an interview on friday, but cant find a good enough way of explaining why teamwork is important or what is team work, i know what it is but unsure of how to explain it,

any help would be gratefully received, thanks

mountainofdebt

what about thinking of it in terms of a machine....doesn't matter how small the cog is if it breaks then so does the machine?

redpete

Different people have different strengths. An effective team makes the most of each individual's strengths by recognizing these strengths and using each member of the team in the most appropriate role.

YorkshireBoy

redpete wrote: »

Different people have different strengths. An effective team makes the most of each individual's strengths by recognizing these strengths and using each member of the team in the most appropriate role.

Further reading...


http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8

Crazy_Jamie

redpete wrote: »

Different people have different strengths. An effective team makes the most of each individual's strengths by recognizing these strengths and using each member of the team in the most appropriate role.

Expanding on that slightly, there are always limitations to an individual's abilities, both in terms of skills and capacity to undertake work. A team can, by default, undertake a greater volume of work than an individual, but beyond that a team working effectively together can accentuate the strengths of the individuals in that team whilst mitigating their weaknesses, allowing the team as a whole to work more efficiently and, to used a somewhat tired cliche, be better than the sum of its parts. Of course, how that benefit plays out in practice will vary depending on the situation.

noelphobic

When a question around teamwork is asked they will often be expecting you to tell them about when you worked well in a team. So it's not just about understanding what a team is.

redpete

One aspect of teamwork is to show acknowledgement of people who have helped you.