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Over the years, there has been a shift in the work culture and work styles in large organizations where people are beginning to work in teams to achieve the best results.
When work teams work together, they tend to solve problems in a more effective and efficient manner. The key to success for work teams is to be self-organizing in their approach. Independent workers will tend to prefer a more diverse work environment in the workplace. They may prefer working in different teams depending on the circumstances they find themselves in.
Independent workers are great at organizing people in teams to make the most out of the group work approach. Their work style is also a great asset that they can make use of in their future endeavors.
In this article, we will look at what are the work-styles in a large organization and what are the benefits of working in a team-based work environment.
What is a work style?
A work style is the way a person performs their day to day tasks, how they optimize their performance and deal with challenges on the job. Each individual has a unique work style that helps them achieve their objectives. Some may like working independently while others prefer working in teams. Work styles dictate how different employees work and can be utilized to encourage better coordination, teamwork, and performance.
What is the work style of independent workers?
Independent workers prefer working on their own over working in teams. These kinds of people are comfortable with setting up tasks and schedules on their own. Independent workers are often self-motivated and find it challenging to collaborate with other people. These people may also face issues with supervision and maybe more perfectionistic in their work with great attention to detail. Independent workers also go for their gut feelings instead of complying with orders from an authority figure. The main characteristics of people with this type of the working style include discipline, efficiency, and productivity. Examples include creative thinkers, entrepreneurs, visionaries, and other mavericks who like to think out of the box to achieve extraordinary outcomes.
What are the different types of work styles?
1. Pioneer
Pioneers have their focus on the big picture and they use that to inspire others and fuel creativity within the team. Such individuals are known for valuing multiple possibilities and taking big risks while always creating or looking for new opportunities. They are highly goal-oriented individuals who thrive on challenges and make every win count.
2. Co-operative
Unlike independent workers, people with a cooperative working style prefer working in a group. This means they enjoy the company of others and the shared responsibility of tasks. Cooperative workers are also adept at communication and are highly diplomatic due to their increased exposure to other people. These types are usually found in relationship-focused roles including leadership, project management, and human resources.
3. Proximity
Proximity is the hybrid between cooperative and independent working styles. These workers prefer to maintain responsibility alone and they are not averse to working with others. Such people can act as a bridge between the two independent and cooperative types to bring the team together.
4. Guardian
Guardians value stability and order which makes them more pragmatic and thoughtful about everything.
5. Supporter
Supporters are expressive and emotionally intelligent which helps them foster deep connections with others. These people love collaboration and take care of others on the team.
What is an ideal work environment in a large organization?
In a large organization, people from all walks of life bring a slice of their personality, experience, and expertise that can be utilized to drive positive growth. While it is hard to generalize what an ideal environment may look like, it is increasingly believed that the ideal culture is where everyone feels like they belong. This sense of belonging can only be cultivated in an organization that welcomes all types of people to work, cooperate, and thrive together. From highly organized people who love order and stability to creative types who are more focused on innovation, businesses that manage to bring diverse work styles together and cultivate individuality can unlock employees’ true potential.
What is a work style assessment?
A work style assessment is like a personality test for people’s work-related personality traits. These traits are closely related to how people perform in the workplace. Many organizations conduct such tests to identify which kinds of work style types exist in the team. This can help managers optimize the team’s performance. Hiring managers can identify applicants’ work styles and choose the ones that they value the most in their teams. Employees can benefit from this test as well as it informs them about their own work habits and which roles they can find satisfaction in.
How work styles can help in team performance?
1. Adds Diversity
Most organizations are now aware of the importance of diversity when it comes to achieving long-lasting success. However, this diversity goes far beyond gender, religion, and ethnicity. Organizations need to be diverse in the type of work styles they welcome. A team with a diverse set of work styles can increase performance as different people combine their strengths to reach a unified goal.
2. Creates an Inclusive Workplace
A company where opposite work types like the free-spirited creative and the detail-oriented businessman can work in harmony is the ideal workplace for the modern world. Organizations that welcome different work styles have a high chance of increasing performance as employees tend to feel happier, more understood, and appreciated in such a workplace.
3. Maintains a Balance
A company that is full of people who work similarly can easily run into trouble. When people of different work styles come together, they can pitch different ideas, spot things others have missed, and create a diverse set of solutions. This maintains an essential balance in the team that is critical for performance.
4. Drives Collaboration & Learning
Different work styles supplement each other to create something truly unique. People from opposite spectrums may find learning opportunities as they work and collaborate with each other.
How do you implement work styles in the workplace using KanBo?
KanBo creates an inclusive digital workspace that transcends roles and work styles. Here are some KanBo features that cater to the diversity of the human experience:
Board lists allow you to group cards and easily find relevant cards within your KanBo board. You could think of board lists as a container for KanBo Cards inside the board. You can create unlimited board lists and assign them colors, names, and purposes as you see fit. Through board lists, you get a comprehensive bird’s eye view of the board arranged according to your unique work style and preferences.
You can add labels to KanBo cards to prioritize and organize them according to your workflow. The labels are fully customizable with names and colors that can be changed with just a click. You can use these labels as you search and filter through the cards, making navigation simple.
For your large organization, you may need some way to organize boards that keep growing at a fast rate. Board collections allow you to group relevant boards to ease navigation. No matter what your work style may be, this top-down view of all your related boards can help you collaborate with the team effectively.
In a large organization where multiple people of different work styles work on different projects; knowledge sharing can be a big challenge. KanBo helps you make use of your organization’s accumulated knowledge through Board Templates from KanBo’s Templates Library. Templates help teams exchange valuable knowledge without much hassle. Teams can share single-board templates and even complex board collections that contain interlinked card relations, all set up to start working.
Conclusion
In order to maintain a workplace that is inclusive, cross-functional, and diverse, organizations need to be accepting of all work styles. Only then can organizations reap the benefits of individuality and make the most out of their employees’ varied strengths.
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