Is Teamwork A Good Thing? Freeriders

Teamwork is often touted as a big positive in the workplace.  As a leader you need to be aware when teamwork is a positive and when it is a negative.

Research has shown that teams can reduce the input of members, especially as team size grows.  The size of a team often correlates to the following demotivating factors.  One, it can diffuse a team member’s sense of individual responsibility. Two, and this includes one of my favorite phrases, “sucker aversion” can make a member think it is not a team effort and most likely one or two people will do all the work without getting all the credit  And finally, good ole fashion ROI plays into team members’ minds as they calculate the rate of their efforts/contribution in correlation to the rate of return on their invested time/energy.

It is all about dynamics.  As a leader, make sure you are individualizing the dynamic to the desired outcome.