The Dark Side of Teamwork: When Collaboration Hinders Productivity

Teamwork has become a buzzword in the modern workplace, with many organizations emphasizing the importance of collaboration to achieve better results. However, recent research suggests that teamwork is not always the best way to get things done. 

In fact, there is a "dark side" to teamwork that can hinder productivity and lead to coordination costs, conflicts, and stress.

One of the main challenges of teamwork is that team members often don't agree on what the team is supposed to be doing. This lack of clarity can lead to confusion, wasted time, and missed opportunities. To address this issue, leaders must be willing to take risks and set the team's direction, while also managing who is on the team and how it is set up.

Another challenge of teamwork is that conflicts can arise between team members, leading to stress and decreased productivity. To mitigate this, managers should clarify which tasks have higher priorities and discuss the priorities with the team when delegating work. Employees can also play a role in developing trust with team members and showing appreciation for the value that each person brings to a project.

Moreover, teamwork can lead to coordination costs, where people become too dependent on each other and some don't get their fair share of credit. This can create a negative work environment and decrease motivation. To avoid this, managers should clarify goals before any work begins, so that the team can start on the same page and important goals can be referenced when disputes arise.

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