Rethinking teamwork
Modern working life often feels like a ship on the high seas: Mastering the big waves of the working world requires a well-rehearsed team. Teamwork is the wind in the sails of successful companies — it drives innovations and makes it possible to reach new shores together.
But what really makes for good cooperation? In this comprehensive guide, we highlight the importance of teamwork, its advantages and disadvantages, and modern approaches to hybrid working models. We'll also explain how to use tools like Flexopus to optimize collaboration within your company.
Teamwork in a work environment
Teamwork is much more than the collaboration of several people who want to achieve a common goal. In a good team, each member complements the strengths of the others and thus contributes to overall success. Especially in dynamic work environments where interdisciplinary thinking is required, skillfully organized teamwork becomes a competitive advantage.
But teamwork doesn't simply mean dividing tasks among several employees — clear strategies, effective communication and a supportive work environment form the basis for your company's success. A corporate culture that your teams can identify with is just as important.
In short: Teamwork only works if the framework conditions are right. Companies that neglect these aspects risk far more than just inefficient work processes — and team frustration and tensions can have far-reaching consequences. It is therefore all the more important to develop the right strategies to ensure the success of your company through smooth teamwork.
Benefits of teamwork
Better problem solving
Ideally, a team brings together different perspectives and experiences, resulting in more creative and well-thought-out solutions. Complex challenges can be tackled more effectively when every team member contributes valuable insights and expertise — diversity is the key to success!
Fostering innovation
Teamwork creates space for ideas and inspiration. The exchange of ideas and concepts creates innovations that individuals would not have developed in this way. However, it is important to give weight and reach to the votes of all team members — because cooperation is only successful when there is trust in the team.
Strengthening team spirit
Being successful together strengthens cohesion and motivation. Successful teams develop a sense of togetherness that increases employee satisfaction and loyalty in the long term — not only with each other, but also with your company.
Workload distribution
By dividing tasks, your employees can concentrate on their core competencies. This distribution of workload increases efficiency, but also prevents overloading individual team members. For your company, this means fewer outages and happier employees.
Disadvantages of teamwork
Smooth teamwork is no accident — as an employer, you have the task of creating a working atmosphere in which your employees feel comfortable and enjoy working together. So make sure that the following disadvantages don't thwart your plans:
Potential for conflict
Different working styles and opinions can lead to disputes. Without clear rules and open communication, these conflicts can hinder productivity — so if you want to get the best out of your team, you should take an active role to avoid or resolve tensions.
Time lost due to voting
Agreements and meetings cost valuable working time. If coordination is not designed efficiently, this can disrupt the workflow, which can restrict productivity and jeopardize deadlines. But the same applies here: Practice makes perfect. The more experienced your team is, the more efficient meetings etc. become
Unequal commitment
There are different levels of performance in every team. The risk of some members contributing less while others are overworked is always there. The key is to actively support employees and make their voices heard.
dominance of individuals
Sometimes strong personalities dominate team dynamics, which can result in others not getting involved enough or withholding their ideas. Frequent feedback sessions with your team help to identify such situations in good time and to counteract them as quickly as possible.
The right way to work in a team
Successful teamwork is based on mutual respect, clear communication and positive dynamism. Teams work best when all members know their roles and responsibilities and work together as equals. Regular coordination is essential to ensure this and avoid misunderstandings.
But even when building a team, your employees must be able to rely on a few basics:
- psychological safety
- dependability
- Structure/clarity
- personal motivation
- Appreciation of one's own contribution.
You should also not neglect the ability to give and accept feedback — not only among employees, but also as a manager. If constructive criticism is seen as an opportunity for improvement and not as a personal attack, you are on the right track — you should actively promote this culture in your company.
In this way, you will quickly be able to make the first breakthroughs in terms of cohesion. Celebrating success is often forgotten, but it's much more than a nice gesture — it's a powerful motivator for your team. Give your employees the appreciation they deserve and create the basis for future excellence.
How do fixed workplaces affect teamwork?
Successful teamwork starts in a work environment that promotes exchange and cooperation. Unfortunately, fixed workplaces often mean the opposite: In traditional offices, interaction and dynamics within a team are significantly limited.
If your employees sit at the same desk all day, this often leads to the formation of “islands”: they communicate primarily with colleagues in their immediate vicinity, not necessarily with all team members. It is therefore worthwhile to break up these rigid and outdated structures.
Shared desks for more communication
In contrast, shared desks promote social ties and exchange through shared workplaces. Because desk sharing creates a dynamic environment in which employees can constantly make new contacts.
Thanks to the flexible choice of seats, colleagues from different departments or projects meet who would otherwise have few points of contact. This informal exchange has a positive effect on team cohesion, but also on creativity and knowledge sharing within your company.
In addition, shared desks prevent rigid hierarchies, as managers and employees can meet on equal footing. The result? An open atmosphere in which ideas are freely shared and innovative approaches are developed — an environment in which teamwork can flourish.
How does successful teamwork work in the home office?
But what if your teams are rarely in the same office? No question about it — working from home places special demands on team cooperation.
Without direct contact in the office, it can be difficult to maintain strong team momentum. Clear structures are therefore essential for teamwork in the home office: Define joint working hours and create rituals, such as weekly check-ins or virtual coffee breaks. This keeps the team spirit alive even from afar.
Tools for teamwork in the modern work environmen
WFH, hybrid work or flex office — digital tools are essential to facilitate collaboration in a modern work environment. Regular virtual meetings, clear lines of communication and shared digital platforms ensure that all members remain connected and that work runs smoothly. For example, rely on...
- Regular video conferences
- Messenger services for daily exchanges
- Shared documents and progress
- virtual whiteboards
Golden rules for teamwork
Make the following best practices part of everyday life in your company to strengthen teamwork in the long term:
- Clearly define the common goal
A team can only work successfully if everyone has the same goal in mind. This should be clearly formulated and communicated at the beginning so that everyone knows what is being worked on. - Share responsibility
Good teamwork depends on all members taking responsibility. - Resolve conflicts constructively
Divergent opinions are unavoidable. It is important to deal with conflicts objectively, to critique constructively and to find solutions together. - Be open to new things
Innovations only occur when the team and managers are open to new ideas. Encourage creativity and encourage your team members to contribute their opinions. - Encourage independent work
Everyone in the team is responsible for their own tasks. Working independently is crucial for project success. - Show reliability
Reliability is the basis for trust. Agreements, deadlines, and tasks must be met so that everyone can rely on each other. - Give and accept support
Teamwork means helping each other out. Offering or accepting help creates a harmonious working environment and ensures timely results. - Maintain effective communication
Open communication is essential. Therefore, share any information, changes, or new plans with the entire team in a timely and clear manner. - Distribute tasks fairly
A fair distribution of tasks ensures that everyone can actively contribute and that the strengths of the individual team members are optimally used. - Make joint decisions
Decisions should always be made by consensus. This promotes equality, strengthens cohesion and prevents tensions.
Successful teamwork with Flexopus Group Manager
The Flexopus Group Manager makes organizing teams and workplaces in your company easier than ever before. With this tool, you can intuitively create user groups, assign employees and set specific booking rules or access authorizations.
The group manager ensures that everyone can work exactly where the best conditions exist. Booking errors are avoided, sensitive data is protected and the work environment is optimally tailored to the needs of your team.
The group manager shows his strengths particularly in hybrid work models or hot desking. It makes it easier to allocate resources, promotes communication between departments and creates clear structures.
With Flexopus lay the foundation for a flexible and productive work environment in which teams can work together efficiently — without sacrificing organization or security.
