What is a demonstrative speech? Simply put, it is a speech usually accompanied by some kind of visual aids, aimed at teaching the audience something. By listening to the speaker and observing his/her demonstration, the audience can learn anything from a practical skill to a more abstract idea. That is why having a fair amount of skill in delivering good instructional speeches is essential for anybody who is going to work with people – here is a sample of such presentation.
Education both in high school and in college always emphasized individual achievement – and it is a good thing, because without a healthy amount of competition there can be no progress.
However, all too often education process pays all too little attention to cooperation between students – it is as if we forget that despite the importance of competition in adult life, most of this competition is between groups of people – which means that the topic of team play has never been so important.
The best way to establish a productive cooperation within a team is to perceive it not as a collection of interchangeable members, but as a single living organism with different people representing different organs. Being a part of a team means you don’t have to spread yourself thin – you can concentrate on your strengths and allow your teammates to cover for your weaknesses. It is one of textbook examples of a comparative advantage – you will do better not by trying to improve your weak spots, but by playing to your fortes.
Another characteristic of a team that works in harmony is that each member boosts creativity and efficiency of all the other members by sharing thoughts, flicking ideas back and forth, offering new topics for discussion. This approach makes solving even the most complicated problems relatively easy. Thus, being a good team player means always being ready to share your insights and opinions.
In general, team play means that you make your own success a part of a larger group’s success. Don’t try to only take projects and roles that are either easier or promise richer rewards – this will get you a poor reputation among other members of the team. If, however, you readily take up tasks that are offered to you and/or are difficult, you will earn a reputation of a hard and reliable worker both with your colleagues and the higher-ups. In the long run, it is much more useful – and don’t forget that working in a team that respects you is much more fun.
Last but not the least goes a proper attitude. Being positive about the whole thing, always ready to provide the necessary feedback and help out a colleague having a hard time dealing with this or that problem, providing moral support during especially depressing moments – all this counts toward the image of an ideal team player – and you certainly want to approach it.
References
- Belbin, R. (2010). Management teams. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Belbin, R. (2010). Team roles at work. 2nd ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Colenso, M. (2000). Kaizen strategies for improving team performance. Harlow [England]: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
- Dudlicek, J. (2003). Team Players. Dairy Field, 186(4), p.28.
- Gerke, S. and Berens, L. (2005). The I in team. Huntington Beach, Calif.: Unite Business Press.
- Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. and Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Noordin, F. and Jusoff, K. (2010). Individualism‐collectivism and job satisfaction between Malaysia and Australia. International Journal of Educational Management, 24(2), pp.159-174.