Team working

What is team working?

One definition of team working is 'the coming together with others to share ideas, thoughts and knowledge to achieve a common goal'. Those who are good at team working tend to be skilled in

• negotiation
• compromise
• communication
• influencing
• showing respect and being sensitive
• recognising that a group can be more than the sum of its parts

Team working skills are essential in almost every job and sector. The ability to work with others and to adapt quickly and effectively to working in different teams, often across various areas of a business, is increasingly a pre-requisite for employment success, and its importance is reflected in the many different methods employers use to assess how you work with others, for example through application and interview questions and at assessment centres. Employers will expect you to be able to demonstrate convincingly that you have a good understanding of how teams work as well as provide evidence about your experience of team working. They will be particularly interested in how you personally contributed to the team's success. Rather than rely on examples from your previous experience alone, group skills are frequently assessed through group based, practical activities at assessment centres, including discussion groups, group interviews and team based case studies.

Team working 'behaviours'

• Listening to what others are saying and inviting contributions from others in the team
• Asking questions
• Encouraging others to perform to their best
• Making a positive contribution to the team's task
• Acknowledging others' contributions in team discussions
• Putting aside individual viewpoints in favour of the team
• Helping manage tension in a group
• Recognising the strengths of different people in a group
• Being aware of the impact of your words, behaviours and actions on other team members

Team working skills development: examples and evidence

Team working examples and evidence

Academic related	Opting for a group project Working in a study group Participating in LSE100| group based work Giving team based presentations Accessing opportunities for training with LSE Students' Union| Participating in LSE GROUPS| Participating in LSE Peer Support| Signing up for team based skills sessions via LSE Careers| Attending 'half-day assessment centre' events at LSE Careers|
Extra-curricular	Duke of Edinburgh award| Taking on an active role in a student society or committee Pursuing a team based sport Joining an international society to gain experience of working with a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities Being part of a group of students that works with LSE's Widening Participation| team to support its work with school students Looking for one-off and other short project based activities, eg City Year Identifying employer team based competitions and applying for awards
Work experience/volunteering	Volunteering for RAG| to work in teams to organise events and fundraiser Volunteering in your local community
Other	Seeking feedback from other people you have worked with Joining a quiz team Travelling with a group of friends Completing online self-assessment and psychometric tests like Profiling for Success and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator Completing self-perception questionnaires like Meredith Belbin's Teamwork styles