You are probably helping teammates without recognition

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Introduction

There is not a single individual, who has not worked within a team at least once in his career or academic life. Teamwork exists in almost every industry, workplace and company. It exists in our everyday life, inside the academic and career framework and outside it. When you take out the garbage, that is teamwork. When you turn off the TV at your home, that is teamwork as well. When you switch off the lights at home or at work, that is teamwork. There are many other countless examples in our daily lives of teamwork that we take part in.

Importance of Teamwork

Teamwork promotes unity. When individuals work separately, each seeks to achieve his/her own goals, competing against other individuals or co-workers. Competition, despite being important, can lead to discouraged workforce if practiced between individuals within the same company or team as it results in conflicting interests. It also encourages hatred and envy among individuals instead of creating an atmosphere of friendship and loyalty, hence destroying any kind of unity or common interest. Teamwork promotes performance efficiency. It enables teams to divide the tasks based on skills and interests allowing individuals to perform their tasks efficiently and successfully and in return increasing the team’s overall productivity. Teamwork also helps individual team members develop their own skills, because they get exposed to other individuals with different backgrounds and skills.

Working as a Team

There is no doubt that some team members do more work or perform better than others perform. In some cases, the least performing team member might not be given the chance to prove himself and unleash his/her full potential, being shadowed over by the better performing team members. In this case, the team member is not to be fully blamed for his/her lack of performance within the team. It is rather the responsibility of the team leader to ensure that all team members are actively engaged and are given an equal opportunity to perform just like the rest of the team members. In other cases, it might just be the laziness or lack of interest by the underperforming team member to work on the assigned task.

In either case, the work of all team members should be recognized, whether the team member was underperforming or not, because in one way or another, the team member has definitely helped his/her teammates in a direct or indirect way. A good team leader should always acknowledge the effort that has been exerted by all team players, whether it was more or less than others. The recognition should not only come from the team leader, but also from the rest of the team members associated with the task. Therefore, it is necessary to have team qualities and skills to create and join a successful and appreciating team that recognizes its members without leaving anyone behind because they should progress as a single entity.

Personality Matters in Teams

This of course depends on the personality of the individual with whom you are working. If the team leader or spokesperson has the “I did” attitude instead of the “We did” attitude, then it is expected that some of the team members will not receive the recognition they deserve or any recognition at all for their work. A teamwork spirit and recognition are thus an essential quality of a team leader and supporting team members.

Forms of Recognition

There are many ways by which a team leader or company can provide work and effort recognition. Among the most common forms of recognition are bonuses. These monetary rewards are given to individuals as an appreciation token for their effort and hard work. Recognition does not necessarily involve money. It can be in the form of a written praise letter to the individuals or team members, acknowledging the effort and contribution of the team members. It can also be a verbal admiration by the management or leadership. This increases the loyalty and friendship between the team members, resulting in better work output and more work dedication. These forms of recognition can be provided at specific special dates or at any day of the year with the aim of boosting morale and team spirit when needed.

Importance of Recognition

Undoubtedly, recognition positively impacts teamwork and it is an essential quality of a good team leader. Individuals who help teammates, even with little stuff, and do not get recognized as a contributing factor within the team, can negatively impact the overall performance of the team. Providing recognition for all team members increases the team’s productivity. They will enjoy doing their tasks and will feel valued by their team. It also boosts optimism, team spirit and encourages engagement. Providing recognition helps in retaining employees because of their increased loyalty and happiness. It increases communication between team members creating a highly efficient and creative team. Not only does recognition affect current team members but it also creates a positive image of the team’s culture and working environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is true that many team members who help their teammates with aspects of their tasks, whether by answering some questions or tackling some of the, are not recognized by their teammates or team leader. This negatively impacts both the individual team member and the team as a whole. That is why, it is essential for an individual to choose his/her team wisely in order to avoid exerting effort and spending time that might not get recognized or acknowledged by others. The rule here to avoid exerting unrecognized effort or assistance to your teammates or job tasks is to choose your team and be chosen by that team. Choose a good team with supporting and encouraging individuals and have your effort and skills be recognized by that team, who will choose to have you join their team as a valued and recognized team member. That doesn’t mean to just perform well for the recognition, but to help teammates without questioning if they are going to provide recognition or not.