The Importance of Teamwork at General Electric

Teamwork in Achieving Common Goals

Teamwork refers to collaborative efforts within a group with the aim of achieving a common goal efficiently. Teamwork is a concept seen within the general team framework and relies on the interdependent nature of individuals that have to work together to achieve common goals. The basic requirements for quality and effective teamwork are as follows; having a reasonable team size, ensuring the availability of resources and well-defined roles among team members (Steers & Nardon, 2014). Teamwork is common in industries, healthcare systems, and sports teams. At General Electric (GE), one of their primary sources of success is the uniform/consistent teamwork shown in the past years. The primary source of teamwork at GE was the fact that the company appreciates employee autonomy hence most of them have developed a sense of ownership and belonging within the company.

Employee Autonomy and Decision-Making at GE

Employee autonomy relates to the ability of the management and company leadership to listen to employees’ ideas and look to implement them for the sake of the company’s success. In this case, at GE, most of the meetings held involved the junior employees, leading most of them to understand the company’s objectives and change plans (Salas, et al., 2015). A company of this size has so many employees in its midst and for it to work at its best, a majority of them must be in agreement with the decisions of the management and should participate in the decision-making process compared to other smaller companies. At GE, management pays attention to employees and over time, the latter has been able to develop self-control to safeguard the company’s interests (Steers & Nardon, 2014). They have become accustomed to helping the company because they know they are significant dependents and that the management treats them well. In essence, the company has ensured that the employee rank feels close to the administration and the executive board through direct involvement in decision-making.

Employee Feedback and Perceived Company Values

Employee feedback and continuous meetings are a technique that the company employs to ensure that the employees continue to love their jobs. In contemporary management concepts, the more employees love their jobs, the more likely they are to remain at the company and perform better (Salas, et al. 2015). As long as employees at GE feel like part of a larger corporate family, they will continue being comfortable, a factor that brings togetherness at work and easily advances GE’s chances in the market as a future economic giant. Employees often participate in reviews of their perceptions of the company and some of the things they think should change within the management and control of the company. Through this move, it is possible to manage the employees efficiently as they are open with the company and more likely to report any mistakes in case they happen. This process has endured at GE for years now and has made the company retain the same class of employees since they trust their employee’s bonding and team concept.

The Importance of Teamwork at General Electric

Teamwork is a concept that deals with the understanding between members of a group who aim to achieve a specific goal set. To ensure optimal outcomes from collaborations, it is important for the members of a team to have a good understanding and have like minds at the same time. General Electric is a senior company in the modern-day market, and the company cites teamwork as the main recipe behind its continued success in the market. Teamwork is a perishable commodity; when preserved well it remains fresh, and when the bond is broken, the relationship becomes sour, and the whole company follows suit.

References

Salas, E., Shuffler, M. L., Thayer, A. L., Bedwell, W. L., & Lazzara, E. H. (2015). Understanding and improving teamwork in organizations: A scientifically based practical guide. Human Resource Management, 54(4), 599-622.

Steers, R. M., & Nardon, L. (2014). Managing in the global economy. Routledge.