- 37% of UK workers prefer working on their own to being part of a team
- 47% say their organisation does not help them develop good team working practices
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33% have regularly dreaded coming into work as the result of a bad team environment
Nearly half (47%) of UK employees feel that their organisation does not help them to develop good team working practices, according to new research released today (30 January 2013) by coaching, leadership and talent development experts, Cedar.
In addition, more than a third (37%) of UK employees prefer to work on their own, suggesting that many business cultures do not encourage employees to communicate ideas, share responsibility and trust fellow team members.
Despite the importance of employees understanding how their own work contributes to team targets, one in five respondents (22%) said they had never been in a meeting at which team performance was discussed.
Penny de Valk, chief executive of Cedar, said: “We know that high performing organisations have high performing teams, and so businesses should look at ways of developing better, more productive team working within their organisations. A lack of adequate training and support for effective team working has a potentially damaging knock-on effect on business productivity.
“We were concerned by research results that suggested UK employees do not feel well supported by team mates, with 54% saying their biggest timewaster was sloppy work that needed re-doing. For teams to work efficiently and happily together, every person must be equipped and motivated to pull their weight.”
The results also suggest that there is room for improvement in the skills of team leaders. 42% of respondents highlighted ‘having a team leader who does not assist in resolving conflicts’ as having a damaging effect on team performance. A further 42% indicated a lack of trust between team members as a key detrimental factor.
Difficult inter-personal relationships within teams had a marked impact on productivity, with a third (33%) of respondents having regularly dreaded coming into work as the result of a bad team environment, whilst a further 29% said they couldn’t do their job properly.
Penny de Valk continued: “Team Leaders play a vital role in delivering organisational performance, while their style and effectiveness has an impact on their team’s ability to deliver successfully. It is a difficult role and people should be supported to develop the right skills and techniques to ensure they are able to get the most out of their teams.
“This requires a savvy, influential leadership style to get all members of the team focussed on team goals, as well as awareness of their position as a role model. Team leaders need to ensure that their staff have a clear understanding of their own responsibilities, and an overview of how these fit into the bigger picture in terms of team goals. Regular meetings to discuss team performance, alongside opportunities to socialise as a team, create the right atmosphere for team productivity.”