How can I be an effective communicator? Value working in teams.
- Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND
- Feb 21
- 2 min read
When you have the choice to work independently or with others, which do you pick?
Which approach leads to better results? Working solo or as part of a team?
What are the pros and cons of each?
Let’s take a look…
This post is the seventh in a series examining the qualities and skills needed to be an effective communicator. These are qualities and skills that can be learned and improved with practice.
They are discussed in the first edition of Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide and as we approach a revision of this book, this series will help begin the process of revisiting and expanding on these fundamentals.
The first post introduced the series by asking the question: What qualities and skills are needed to be an effective communicator?
The second post discussed the importance of being genuinely courteous, gracious, and respectful.
The third post explored the importance of being flexible and teachable.
The fourth post looked at the importance of demonstrating integrity and responsibility.
The fifth post explored the value of social intelligence.
The sixth post discussed professionalism and how it relates to being an effective communicator.
This post looks at the importance of teamwork.
What is teamwork?
Teamwork is when people work together to accomplish a task or achieve a common goal. Previous posts (see below), based on Chapter 3 in Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide, list these six characteristics of successful teams:
A common vision
Trust
Effective communication
Accountability
Conflict resolution
Recognition
Benefits of working in high-functioning teams include increased efficiency, taking advantage of member strengths, enhanced problem-solving, comradery, and a shared workload.
Disadvantages of working in poorly functioning teams include undefined roles, uneven workload, unresolved conflict, inability to make decisions, and groupthink.
How does teamwork relate to being an effective communicator?
Working effectively as part of a team can lead to more effective communication due to a variety of factors:
Large or complex communication projects are more effectively completed with multiple people dividing up the necessary tasks.
Teams composed of people representing various ages, generations, backgrounds, ethnicities, and professional expertise bring diverse ideas, perspectives, experiences, abilities, knowledge, and approaches to communication.
People working in teams are more willing to try new ideas.
Teams are more likely to catch mistakes and be equipped to correct them.
If you value effective communication, it pays to value teamwork, even if you tend to prefer working independently.
If working independently is your strongly preferred approach, embrace teamwork by enlisting input from your audience and getting feedback from trusted reviewers. Never work entirely solo.
Read more about teamwork in these posts:
In next week’s post, we will discuss the qualities that demonstrate a strong work ethic.
"If you want to go fast, go alone.If you want to go far, go together." ~ African Proverb
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