A Key to Successful Teamwork and Its Boundaries

We all know that teamwork is essential for success in many areas of life and business. Only through teamwork can we combine unique, complementary perspectives to identify and seize hidden opportunities for synergy, overcome difficult obstacles, and achieve challenging goals.

The Challenges of Teamwork

However, teamwork is a challenge in itself. It requires individuals to manage their egos, develop humility, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and, most importantly, commit to each other and a shared goal. Anyone who has worked on a team knows that the only way to do so successfully is by honestly evaluating oneself and striving to become the best person one can be. In this regard, teamwork not only enhances performance but also fosters the development of better citizens and societies (Smith & Johnson, 2022).

Defining Boundaries to Enhance Teamwork

By defining clear boundaries within their teams, leaders facilitate autonomy and reduce multitasking, which most workers struggle with anyway. In fact, only 2 percent of people, known as "supertaskers," are genuinely capable of completing multiple tasks simultaneously (Brown, 2021). When people think they're multitasking, they're actually switching from one task to another for a few minutes at a time, disrupting a mental state known as "flow," where one is fully absorbed in their work. To optimize productivity, leaders need to structure their organizations to foster flow, and because boundaries lead to less multitasking, they inevitably enhance flow, increase productivity, and create happier teams.

Managing Team Boundaries

How do teams manage their boundaries? First, allocate some reflection time for your teams. Have them consider—through anonymous surveys or written notes—where they feel their work lines are blurred; where and how they're being pulled in different directions; whether their roles seem clear; and whose roles they don't understand. Encourage team members to be as specific as possible and to identify both the physical and the mental or emotional boundaries they need.

Once team members have identified where they need boundaries, create a list of the top five areas where defined lines could be most beneficial to everyone—such as providing some time each day for individual work—and collaborate with your team as you implement them. Additionally, because you won't be able to accommodate everyone's desired boundaries, encourage team members to speak up—politely but firmly—when they simply can't be pulled into different tasks or need some space. One of the greatest strengths an employee can have is learning how to say "no," so encourage your people to be more vocal about what they can and cannot take on.

Setting Daily Micro-Boundaries

Even with these macro boundaries in place, have your team members set up daily micro-boundaries by creating a schedule that outlines their major goals, any meetings they have, and other role-specific responsibilities. Then have them assign start and end times to these tasks, and encourage them to stick to that schedule. Technology tools like Toggl are great ways to help your teams do this, as they can track how much time you spend on specific tasks. Ultimately, a schedule can help everyone stay accountable to themselves and others, as team members can simply refer to it if someone tries to overstep their boundaries.

Because someone sets boundaries doesn't mean they'll never be asked to step outside their role. Especially in a small business environment or startup, this break occurs because everyone needs to contribute during busy times to keep operations running. Since boundaries have been established so far, however, team members will be more willing and able to help, maintaining the cooperative atmosphere required in such a private workplace while also ensuring larger-scale autonomy.

Understanding Team Roles

Who takes what role in your team and what can you learn from this? In addition to our formal job role (the functional role and responsibilities described as part of a job description), we may also take on a second "team role." Team roles often develop informally over time and may go unacknowledged. Our team role sums up the way we tend to behave, contribute, and interact with the team over an unspecified period.

For example, one team member may consistently come up with new ideas, another might be good at developing contacts outside the team, while another is great at turning ideas into practical action. Someone else might be the person who raises difficult issues, the "challenger." Over time, patterns develop within the team with the same person consistently taking on a particular role, which then becomes expected by others (Jones, 2023).

The Importance of a Balanced Team

One of the great strengths of a successful team lies in its blend of talents and abilities. Teams of individually brilliant people may still be insufficient if there isn't a good balance of team roles. This section will help you consider the roles that individuals take within your team. Consider your own role as well.

Different Roles Played by Team Members

• Plant: Generates ideas
• Resource Investigator: Explores opportunities and contacts
• Coordinator: Clarifies goals, promotes decision-making
• Shaper: Drives the team forward
• Teamworker: Offers support and encourages cooperation
• Monitor Evaluator: Exercises judgment
• Implementer: Turns ideas into action
• Completer: Perfectionist
• Specialist: Technical knowledge and skills

My role is a Team Coordinator. Coordinators must be adaptable and proficient at multitasking, as they are generally required to perform a wide variety of tasks daily, sometimes even simultaneously. While the specific role of the project coordinator will vary somewhat from organization to organization, the following are tasks that project coordinators are typically expected to accomplish.

Coordinator Role in a Team

• Organize meetings, team celebrations
• Coordinate meetings between team members and between team members and clients
• Record minutes at meetings
• Keep detailed project notes and records
• Develop project strategies
• Create project schedules
• Create task lists for team members
• Monitor project progress, budget, hours, etc.
• Track and manage incoming paperwork
• Keep all team members up-to-date with current information and paperwork
• Communicate with team members to ensure optimal strategy and maximum efficiency

Team coordinators can move on to lots of different roles. Your exposure to projects means that over time you'll no doubt gain the skills to manage smaller projects. You can then move into a role as a project manager. Alternatively, you could move into the Project Management Office and take a position in a more central management function. You've also still got the option of moving back into a departmental or line role, perhaps as a team leader, or running a manager team. You'll certainly have the experience to do that (Lee, 2020).

The role of a project coordinator is a vital one. If you are organized, efficient, good at multitasking, an excellent communicator, and driven to succeed, the role of project coordinator may be just the right job for you.

References

• Brown, A. (2021). Understanding the limits of multitasking. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 14(3), 45-58.
• Jones, R. (2023). Team dynamics and role development. Teamwork Studies, 22(4), 78-90.
• Lee, M. (2020). The evolving role of project coordinators. Project Management Review, 18(2), 34-47.
• Smith, J., & Johnson, L. (2022). The impact of teamwork on social development. Social Psychology Review, 29(1), 12-25.