Mian Shahid on Friday said effective teamwork is essential to the success of any business while lack of cooperative environment is fatal for organisations. Organisations are energised when individuals harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal while lack of teamwork cripples businesses, he said.
Speaking at a capacity building seminar, Mian Shahid, CEO Saudi Pak Insurance Co. said that selecting right team members is a challenge for management as teams with wrong members would eventually fail no matter how hard they try. He said that many corporations with frequent replacements, distrust, unnecessary secrecy, and negative attitudes are on path of self-destruction.
Success in corporate culture lies in being positive, open, and invigorating, he said adding that members of any team can only thrive in a challenging and creative environment. Mian Sahid said that destructive organisational climate as well as positive corporate culture comes from the top-down. “Management of any company is largely responsible for the work culture that an organisation develops,” he stressed.
Managers can foster a good culture by making their expectations clear through detailed job description, personal discussions and empowering each team member. Disagreeing without reasoning leaves the team confused, he added. He said that corporate culture in Pakistan lacks recognition which is key to success. Failure of management to regularly give out positive recognition pushes employees to seek negative recognition. Mian Shahid said that recognition should not be limited to outstanding performers; those who don’t fall in the category of star employees also deserve it.
He said that those managers who are not included in decision-making process are deprived of a sense of ownership.
Former President UBL Aziz Memon, former President ABL Salim Sheikh, Majeed Memon, Hassan bin Dawood, Altimish Malik, and others also spoke on the occasion. They said that alternative to provision of opportunities and challenges and promotion of unique talents and strengths is boredom and mediocrity which is very expansive to afford.
Individual are very important but effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond individual accomplishments, they observed. They said that managers who are not principled, honest, respectful, encouraging, committed, enthusiastic and good listeners are a liability for every business. Attracting and keeping vital team members is the key to future of entrepreneurs, the speakers concluded.
