Teams are becoming integral constituents of organizations. Teams are ready to conduct a variety of functions, face challenges, and improve their mutual abilities. Though teamwork is advantageous for organizations’ performance, it can be rather a challenge to establish a successful leadership strategy. The article under consideration examines the issue of making failures. The primary subject of the article will be reviewed from the perspective of the organization of the teamwork.
The article “Why Failure is Your Best Competitive Advantage” was published on the website Huffington Post in 2015. The author of the article is Jacob Morgan. The author provides readers with the interesting point of view that emphasizes the importance to accept failures. Morgan explains the significance of failures, the way they can alter and improve the working process. He also provides readers with the examples of famous companies who successfully practice the model of failure rewarding.
The author dwells on his personal experience at the beginning of the article. Since childhood, adults taught him that one should always avoid failures. Such a tendency still predominates in most companies. Employees can be reprimanded or even fired for the mistake. However, Morgan states that such company as P&G has the so-called reward for failure. Such a system does not mean praise for making stupid mistakes. This approach presupposes encouraging employees not to give up. According to Morgan (2015), a good manager should support innovations, enhance engagement, get rid of inefficiencies, and provide learning opportunities.
Chapter 1 “Team and Organizations” discusses the basis of the teamwork. The article can be analyzed from the perspective of the content of the chapter. The manager has to react to the failure of the team. According to Thompson (2013), “It may seem ironic, but one of the most effective ways to learn is to experience failure” (p. 14). That is the first concept from the chapter. The author provides examples of failures that have become stimuli for the further development. This concept coincides with Morgan’s one. The second concept refers to the innovations encouragement. Teams may experience failure due to the fear of being wrong or lack of changes. It is the task of the manager to provide them with necessary resources and support (Thompson, 2013). The manager should make all team members aware of the fact that they can work efficiently even under the wrong circumstances.
The third concept concerns the engagement. If the failure has already happened, the manager has to encourage employees not to give up. The method of motivation depends on the type of teams. It is harder to motivate self-directing teams rather than manager-led or self-managing teams (Thompson, 2013). The fourth concept relates to the removal of inefficiencies. The problem of many managers is that they refuse to accept that they are wrong. Managers should not blame the bad economy or people in the failure just to save self-esteem or position (Thompson, 2013).
The fifth concept explains that managers should understand that teams are not panaceas for organizations. They can fail, and it is a usual practice (Thompson, 2013). Team leaders should be aware of this fact and do not expect impossible results from their teams. The sixth concept is that of the providing valuable learning opportunities. Thus, managers should explain to employees why failures are significant and how they enhance the working process. Managers must remember that the strong leadership is not always necessary (Thompson, 2013). It is better to become a supportive leader.
Teams represent the efficient workforce in the modern world. Managers should do their best to provide employees with high-quality working opportunities. The attitude towards failure is a significant aspect of teamwork. Managers should understand that mistakes are parts of the progress and popularize such opinion among employees.
References
Morgan, J. (2015). Why Failure is Your Best Competitive Advantage. Web.
Thompson, L. (2013). Making the Team. Upper Saddle River, USA: Prentice Hall.