In today’s world, team coordination is more crucial than ever before. While it has always been essential for the success of any business, it has now become both a necessity and an art. In the current era of advanced technologies, large corporations, and remote work, how team members coordinate has a significant influence on efficiency and performance.
What is Team Coordination?
In simple terms, team coordination refers to the strategies employed by a company to enable team members to effectively and efficiently work towards accomplishing both the company’s goals and their own individual goals.
When comparing a business and its employees to a machine and its cogs, the process of achieving successful teamwork would involve refining the machine to ensure that all cogs are adequately lubricated and function harmoniously together.
Although the definition may seem simple, it is important to note that successful team collaboration is difficult. If companies are unable to correctly implement it, they will either fail or be inefficient in achieving their maximum potential.
Types of Team Coordination
Two types of team coordination, namely explicit and implicit coordination, are encountered when looking at how coordination happens within a company or department based on the aspect being focused on.
Explicit coordination
Explicit coordination encompasses all the explicit actions performed by team members to effectively handle their tasks and accomplish objectives. Moreover, explicit team coordination is founded upon either planning or communication.
Planning-based coordination involves the utilization of tools like to-do lists, timelines, guides, and SOPs to handle predictable elements of a job. In contrast, communication-based coordination entails the exchange of information through formal or informal processes such as work meetings, conversations during breaks, and email exchanges.
Explicit coordination is referred to as such because it can be observed and measured, as is evident.
Implicit coordination
Members of a team engage in implicit coordination when they are able to anticipate the requirements of the task as well as the needs and actions of their colleagues, without the need for explicit communication or the creation of a detailed plan. This type of coordination relies on the individual members’ ability to anticipate and adapt to both the actions of their teammates and the demands of the task at hand.
The non-tangible nature of this interaction makes it harder to measure, hence the term “implicit.” Nonetheless, it greatly influences business success, particularly when considering the broader perspective.
Implicit coordination refers to actions such as taking the initiative to distribute tasks, foreseeing the requirements of colleagues, and adjusting to the expectations of the team.
It may have already occurred to you that this type of coordination has been less explored and is currently considered crucial for maximizing teamwork productivity. This is why team building activities, emotional psychology in the workplace, and other innovative human resources approaches like developing a team mental model are currently popular.
Data scientists have conducted research that demonstrates the importance of a harmonious blend of implicit and explicit processes in the most effective teams. This finding underscores the vital role played by the team’s collective understanding and shared representation of the situation in achieving successful coordination.
Other types of coordination
Instead of focusing solely on how it happens, we can direct our attention to the location where team coordination occurs, alongside the explicit vs implicit approach.
In any medium-sized company, there are typically several departments, each specializing in a specific area of the business, such as sales, accountancy, and marketing. Additionally, these departments comprise a team of specialists in their respective fields.
Therefore, in certain situations, we also refer to coordination within a department (intradepartmental coordination) and coordination between various departments (interdepartmental coordination).
5 ways to boost team engagement and team coordination in your organization.
1. Know the Big Picture
This is the first step and must be done with great precision. If this step is not executed well, all subsequent steps will also fail. The main focus is on determining specific, brief, and understandable objectives. It is important to clearly define the team’s goals, whether it is a regular daily task or a unique activity conducted for team building purposes.
Previously, it was common for team leaders or managers to establish team goals, but nowadays, most leaders encourage their members to participate in setting them. This allows the entire team to contribute to creating goals that are feasible, realistic, and motivating. Moreover, this involvement improves team engagement, as all members are on the same page and have a clear vision. With the correct mindset and a full understanding of the overall objective, each team member can proceed with subsequent steps.
2. Create Well-Defined Roles
The second step involves capitalizing on the individual strengths of each team member and assigning specific roles to them. Teams that have members in constant competition or negative behavior will not achieve any significant results. They may produce average work but never reach their full potential. Therefore, it is crucial to establish both the team’s objectives and the actions each member will take to achieve them. This should be done in collaboration and coordination with the team members.
3. Foster Great Communication
Setting up an enthusiastic work culture at your workplace is guaranteed with great communication. The key is to ensure that communication goes both ways and to maintain a clean and clear channel. The more effort put into this, the greater the team engagement. A positive work culture can be achieved through clear and concise communication, where every member is encouraged to express their thoughts and ideas and leaders are respected and listened to. This approach fosters the right attitude and approach.
Why is Team Coordination Important?
It is absolutely crucial for everyone in a team, be it department teams or whole organizations, to work together in order to achieve common goals.
When considering the matter carefully, envision a triumphant sports team from the past, such as the Chicago Bulls under the guidance of coach Phil Jackson alongside players like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The key factor behind their remarkable achievements was not solely the brilliance of each team member individually, but rather their ability to combine their talents harmoniously in pursuit of a shared objective.
While all of those players had also played for other teams throughout their careers, none of them achieved the same level of success as when they were together playing for the Bulls. None of their other teams were able to win six championships in under ten years, highlighting the significance of team coordination and its potential to have a transformative impact.
Now, let’s examine how this significance applies to every company.
It prevents delays and internal conflict
In order to win or successfully complete a team race, it is imperative that all runners cross the finish line. It would be catastrophic if certain runners deviated from the route or paused, while others finished the race.
In a company, the same principle applies, whether it is within teams or across different departments. All individuals involved need to have a shared understanding of their collective goals in order to reach them simultaneously, thereby enhancing overall timing and efficiency in their work.
If you have ever been involved in a web design and development project, you may understand the frustration that arises when the designers, copywriters, developers, and SEO team are not properly coordinated. This results in project delays, tension and frustration within the organization, and a negative customer experience.
It improves human resources administration
Just like the interaction between departments, the data indicates that effectively managing human resources within each department is essential. To make wise decisions regarding the allocation of human and time resources, leaders and project managers must coordinate effectively, taking into consideration project-specific and global priorities.
If a company fails to deliver, it is often not due to unqualified, unskilled, or improperly trained employees. Instead, it can be attributed to the mismanagement of resources, leading some projects to lack the required workforce and attention for successful results. Thus, to prevent this from happening, project managers must coordinate diligently.
It boosts team spirit and creates a sense of common purpose
When colleagues coordinate effectively, it strengthens the cohesion of the team, and the opposite is also true. If colleagues are aligned in their goals and objectives and have a clear understanding of their purpose and direction, they are more likely to have a strong sense of purpose and direction in their work. This can significantly enhance the overall team spirit and work environment, fostering a sense of belonging to a (work) family with shared interests.
It builds company reputation and customer experience
The reputation of an entire company can be influenced by the work of its employees and the image they project through their behavior. If coordination is successful, delays can be avoided, resulting in a more satisfied customer base.
The image and customer experience of a company can be unbeatable when its staff works together cohesively and moves in the same direction, rather than as separate units working independently. Achieving this requires strong team coordination.
