Group communication plays a crucial role in a workplace and two important features of this form of communication are teamwork and leadership.

So, let’s start with teamwork.

Teamwork

At some point of your life, you will have to work as a part of a team at either at the university or at work. In addition, you may have to lead a team as well. Communication is the key to the succession of teamwork. The definition of teamwork is to combine team and work. Teams work towards achieving certain objectives and goals. Each member of the team should possess the relevant skills, talents, experience and education. Let’s say an example is a team that has to work on a marketing task is formed. In this team, someone with an engineering background will not fit.

Normally teams perform better and achieve a better result than working individually. A team is advantageous as they have a pool of talents and skills. Teamwork allows a manager to make more strategic management decisions. A team is effective when they have a clear goal. All team members should be able to understand and work towards the goals of the team. They should have mutual trust among them. They should trust the ability of members to complete their given tasks. They should be loyal towards the team members. Furthermore, members should have good communication skills. Messages sent should be understood and the receiver should give feedback. The leader should have appropriate leadership skills and provide constant support in difficult situations. Lastly, members should possess good negotiating skills hence they must be able to confront and reconcile differences arising from changing situations and problems.

Leadership

A leader is someone who has the ability to lead and manage a team. A leader should be able to influence their team members toward the accomplishment of goals. Leaders take on the role because they have been selected, chosen or have experience for the role. For me personally, a good leader is someone who has the ability to communicate information to its subordinates and has the ability to listen to its subordinates.

Now, you have three types of leaders, namely,

• Autocratic leader:

This type of leadership is when the leader only has authority to make all decisions and does not delegate authority to its subordinates.

• Democratic leader:

This type of leader involved its members when making a decision and asks for their opinions. Members are more satisfied with leadership skills than the other two.

• Laissez-faire:

This type of leader gives its members complete freedom to decide and do the work according to their own decisions. The leader has no or very little control over the work.

Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid

This famous grid represents a framework for conceptualizing leadership styles and the five leadership styles are as follows:

• Impoverished Management:

Managers adopting this particular approach are low on both the dimensions. They use very little effort to make the subordinates work. This type of manager does not bother to meet employee satisfaction and work deadline. There is always dispute and incompetence within the organization. The main aim of the leader is to save his job and maintain his status.

• Task management:

It is also known as authoritarian or perish style. In this type of management the leader is more concerned about the productivity and does not worry about satisfying its employees’ needs and wants.

• Middle-of-the-Road:

This style of management is based on the principle of compromising. The leader keeps a balance between the needs of its employees and the goals of the organization. Here the leader does not impose on its employees and allows them to work within their boundaries.

• Country Club:

In this style of management the leader believes that employees are the most important factor to the success of an organization. The leader tries his best to make sure the employees get to work in a friendly and comfortable environment. The leader believes that treating the employees well, will lead to self-motivation and employees will be able to work hard without supervision.

• Team Management:

This is the most effective style of management derived from the theory Y of McGregor. The leader creates a friendly working environment for its employees.

 

How far do you agree that teamwork and leadership are two important components in a workplace?