In this blog, we will discuss, ‘Why is coordination so important at the workplace?’ What does the management in an organization expect from each of its employees? Dedication, Conviction or Hard Work? Let us not forget, that teamwork is the basis of the success of any organization. Collaboration and Cooperation are two of the three pillars of teamwork, however, these two cannot exist without the third pillar, i.e. Coordination. Employees are expected to coordinate well with each other so that no employee is uninformed of any important data that floats in the team. As Mark Sanborn says,  “In teamwork, silence isn’t golden, it’s deadly.”

What exactly does a coordinated team look like?

“You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins.”

Jim Stovall

A team which is well aware of every information that needs to be floated is united and each employee in the team has a sense of inclusion and hence its content with respect to his/her job. Each organizational structure has a special place for an employee or a team which manages the operations of the firm. The operations team is responsible to ensure effective coordination among departments. Successful delivery of the project to a customer involves various processes and numerous departments. There is no place for a lack of coordination among teams and employees if the organization looks forward to success.

However, what are the tenets required for building coordination in an organization? Let me list those out for you:

What role do these elements play in building coordination in a team?

• Honesty Towards Workplace: Honesty is the best policy!’, we have been aware of this saying since we were kids. Have we been able to sincerely apply it in our lives as yet? The presence of honesty and goodwill is absolutely necessary for the success of both an individual and a team. What happens when we are honest with our team members and our managers? By being honest, we give others a chance to trust ourselves with every information that is necessary for team members to know. Better coordination and hence better-organized work is possible with a foundation of honesty among team members.
• Trust Among Employees: Do you trust your peers enough with an important task at hand? Can you rely on your fellow team member for an urgent job? Can you confide about your personal work-related challenges in your manager? A team is best coordinated if the members trust each other completely. As Lencioni says, every vulnerability can be overcome if the team is well-coordinated on the grounds of trust.

“Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”

Patrick Lencioni

• Effective Communication Skills: What does the word ‘coordination’ directly refer to? Coordination means effective delegation of work, proper conveyance of ideas and well-connected teamwork! For a team to be well connected, each member needs to inculcate effective communication skills. Effective communication, as I have described in my previous blogs, can lead the road to success for any team! Are you always able to convey your ideas and complaints properly to others? Clarity of thought is a prerequisite for the healthy and coordinated environment at work.

• Collaborative Spirit: One of the three pillars of success of a team, collaboration, refers to working towards a common vision, a clear target. Effective coordination of a team depends upon whether or not the team of different individuals is actually working with a united mindset towards a common goal for the organization. Working together also generates a sense of accountability in the employees. An organization with a collaborative spirit intact never faces a lack of coordination while at work!

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”

Henry Ford

• Cooperative Environment: Do you help your team member to overcome his/her weaknesses? Can you rely on your team member to help you through a difficult situation? Cooperation,[P1]  also forms the basis of a well-coordinated team. Responsibilities can only be divided efficiently if a camaraderie exists within a team! If one individual or team faces an issue, the other induvial or team needs to be at their toes to help! This is how a firm moves towards success!

“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”

Napolean Hill

• Effective Leadership: Last but not the least, leadership, to a great extent, determines the fate of a team or an organization. What does the word ‘leader’ refer to? A leader is responsible for inculcating all the above points in a team! He/she should be able to invoke a feeling of trust and belief in the hearts of his employees. A leader is greatly responsible for building a well-coordinated team. If an operations team is responsible for smooth functioning across teams, a leader above all, is responsible to make sure there are no hurdles in coordination. At times an initiator, at times a mediator, a leader has to change his/her role according to the requirement of the team!

Collaboration, Cooperation and Coordination  – If these three pillars are intact in an organization, nothing can stop it and its employees from achieving success!

Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs.