Teamwork in kitchen

What is Teamwork?

Teamwork is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as "a joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group." This does not mean that the individual is no longer important; however, it does mean that effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond individual accomplishments. The most effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal.

Teamwork is learning to communicate with your workmates and helping out when you can. They will then do the same for you. You can only do your job properly if everyone else is doing their job and vice versa[1].

To be a good team member you must have some matter to consider which are given below:

§ Help other team members.

§ Inform others of cange4s in routine.

§ Ask for assistance when necessary.

§ Use effective communication and interpersonal skills.

§ Be willing to learn new skills and improve old ones.

§ Be flexible in assisting other team members when they are busy and need help.

§ Be honest; team members must be able to trust one another.

§ Have a commitment to the goals and objectives of your team.

Characteristics of Effective Teams.

There are some inevitable characteristics of a effective team, which are the following:

§ The team must have a clear goal.

Avoid fuzzy, motherhood statements. Team goals should call for a specific performance objective, expressed so concisely that everyone knows when the objective has been met.

§ The team must have a results-driven structure.

The team should be allowed to operate in a manner that produces results. It is often best to allow the team to develop the structure.

§ The team must have competent team members.

In the education setting this can be take to mean that the problem given to the team should be one that the members can tackle given their level of knowledge.

§ The team must have unified commitment.

This doesn't mean that team members must agree on everything. It means that all individuals must be directing their efforts towards the goal. If an individual's efforts is going purely towards personal goals, then the team will confront this and resolve the problem.

§ The team must have a collaborative climate.

It is a climate of trust produced by honest, open, consistent and respectful behavior. With this climate teams perform well...without it, they fail.

§ The team must have high standards that are understood by all.

Team members must know what is expected of them individually and collectively. Vague statements such as "positive attitude" and "demonstrated effort" are not good enough.

§ The team must receive external support and encouragement.

Encouragement and praise works just as well in motivating teams as it does with individuals.

§ The team must have principled leadership.

Teams usually need someone to lead the effort. Team members must know that the team leader has the position because they have good leadership skills and are working for the good of the team. The team members will be less supportive if they feel that the team leader is putting him/herself above the team, achieving personal recognition or otherwise benefiting from the position[2].

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[1] Develop & update hospitality industry knowledge, Culinary Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Version 2, March 2009.