Are You a Team Player at Work? - East Idaho News
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Are You a Team Player at Work?

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GETTY 101713 TeamWork?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1382003655999iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Many companies like to refer to their workers as members of a team, and they often organize groups of staffers to tackle specific projects, but new research shows most employees would prefer to go it alone.

A study by the University of Phoenix reveals that nearly 85 percent of U.S employees think working on teams in the office is difficult.

Specifically, 45 percent of workers attribute the difficulties to too much of an “in-it-for-one’s-self” mentality in the workplace.  More than half feel that a lack of clearly-defined roles contributes to team failures.

In addition, 40 percent of the 1,000 workers polled think their heavy workload leaves little time for team efforts, with 35 percent saying emails and other electronic communications have reduced the opportunity for face-to-face interaction with co-workers.

More than 60 percent of employees who find working in teams difficult feel part of the problem lies with them not receiving enough teamwork training.

“Working in teams can be one of the more challenging dynamics one faces in the workplace,” said Bill Pepicello, president of University of Phoenix.  “Developing teamwork skills is a critical factor for success for individuals and the businesses for which they work.”

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