I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. It seems like I’m always running across articles, blogs or whatever related to the difficulties of fostering teamwork in the workplace. (Well, maybe running implies too much exercise. For the sake of honesty-in-blogging, I should really say clicking.) I could point you to a veritable plethora of ‘em (like my new word? found it on my word-a-day toilet paper), but why bother – you’ve probably seen more than I have already.

So it was with a sense of resignation that I followed yet another article link (oh, joy, another one) uncovered by the vast MZM research department, this one sent in by a friend of mine, Dennis McMullin, Director of Marketing at OYO Geospace. I should have known better.

(For those of you who don’t know him, Dennis has a way of spotting the odd, the unusual, and the profound that constantly impresses me. I’ve known him for several years now, and he never ceases to amaze me. Thank, Dennis – I’ll have that ‘muga muga’ now.)

At the UK website Management-Issues, Kevan Hall has an article titled “Drowning in Co-operation” that is, shall we say, a somewhat different take on teamwork: he thinks there’s too much of it! Well, you would expect a different point of view from a guy from another planet – and with an unusual title, to boot. (No really – it’s the second line of his biography – he’s the “corporate ‘manger’ from Mars.”)

(Now forgive me here, but I’m going to assume you’ve clicked on the link and read the article. Oh, go ahead, it’s not that long.) His premise is based on what he calls four key management myths: 1) It’s all about teamwork, 2) Communication is the answer, 3) We need to be in control, and 4) Corporate values hold the company together.

My first thought was, calling these things myths is rather inflammatory. After all, these are basic tenets of businesses everywhere. But then again, maybe there’s something here after all. Let’s try throwing them against the wall and see what sticks, shall we?

It’s all about teamwork. Kevan thinks there’s too much of it because his survey found too many people are bogged down in meetings and other team functions. But I can’t completely agree with the conclusion there’s too much team work. I think the symptoms indicate something else, like “learn how to conduct meetings”. I mean c’mon, people, this is basic! The fact that meetings aren’t productive has nothing to do with the validity of meeting, and everything to do with properly trained meeting facilitators.

Actually, in my own work environment (I’m an engineer), our meetings pretty much all run well, accomplish the intended goal, and deliver valuable face (and/or phone) time with each other and our clients. But then again, maybe in the engineering world, where all work, as Tom Peters would say, really is project work, that’s just the way it’s done. I’ve never worked in an environment where teamwork is the problem Kevan describes.

Communication is the answer. In a similar vein (how come no one ever says “in a similar artery?”), I don’t think communication is the problem, either. It’s improper communication that caused that manager to say he had a “lack of communication”. Now I agree this is a common problem for most people, but it’s really not that hard to resolve. Most of the time a quick scan is enough to tell when an email is worthless (a second or two, perhaps 5 at the most). So that kills oh, 10 minutes, tops, for an average 200 to 250 emails. That leaves you plenty of time to spend on the ones you really need to concentrate on. C’mon, ya big wuss! Quit whining and move on.

We need to be in control. All right, having beaten up on Kevan for a few paragraphs, I’ve got to give him this one. It’s probably true that many managers have a problem letting go – that’s what managers do, after all: manage. But he makes a good point about trust here. Once again, I point to my own work environment as a model for this. We trust each other to do the job we need to do, when it needs to be done, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. (I’d like to also point out with all humility it’s also why our client alliance is ranked #1 among similar industry alliances. Thank you. Thank you very much.)

Corporate values hold the company together. Well, they would if everyone in the company embraced them (and if they are good values to begin with). Again, I’ll agree with Kevan as he focuses mainly on teams that work across cultures and geographical boundaries. After all, as companies grow these days, it’s hard – no, impossible – to stay local anymore. But this can become a make-or-break issue for a company, in that if the corporate values change too much – well, you might just end up as a different company. There’s an equilibrium to these things that companies have to manage, or they’ll end up failing in the marketplace while other, more agile companies take their place.

Kevan concludes with this statement: “The answer is not working harder with the old skills but implementing faster and simpler ways of working.”

Fine, as long as you don’t throw the baby out with the bath.