Overview/Description
Elizabeth and Cassandra started with the same organisation at the same time in similar positions. Both were bright women. Both had good degrees from prestigious universities. Both had exceptional technical skills. Yet, after six months in the organisation, Elizabeth seemed to be making a bigger impact and enjoying more success. She was friendly with members of her own department and knew many other people throughout the organisation. People often came to her for advice, and she had no trouble obtaining assistance when she needed it. Cassandra, who had kept her nose to the computer and kept very much to herself, was struggling to understand Elizabeth's popularity. When she questioned her team leader, his response was, "You need to be more social". Stunned, Cassandra returned to her cubicle. Social? More social? What does that have to do with work? Although Cassandra's manager might not have realised it, he was talking about teamwork and emotional intelligence. The glue that holds today's work teams together is made up of social competence, participation, collaboration and the ability to influence others. These skills, combined with a willingness to develop the team, are the hallmarks of effective teams that will be discussed in this course.