AI Can't Replace This Human Skill: Teamwork

In the age of AI, many employees are experiencing existential anxiety about their roles and values.

"When will my job be automated?", "If an algorithm replaces my judgment, what is the value of my existence?" The question is in the minds of many workers.

This uncertainty leads to a crisis of professional identity, and members of the organization question their long-term roles. This anxiety is especially pronounced among employees who perform repetitive and predictable tasks.

In such a situation, strong teamwork is a core competitiveness that only humans can have. In an era where machines process data and assist in decision-making, the true differentiator of an organization comes from "cooperation between people." In particular, the human ability to accept and integrate diverse perspectives in complex and unpredictable situations is an inherent value that AI cannot replace.

But the problem is that teamwork feels a lot harder than you think. Some teams work well autonomously, while others easily collapse in distrust and silence. Now that AI is changing the way and structure of work, teamwork is no longer an option, but a condition for survival.

'Seeing', 'hearing', and 'acknowledging each other's presence' is only possible with human power, not technology. In the end, what is needed to achieve the goals and objectives of an organization is not so much technology as people, and the connection between people.

Why is 'teamwork' emerging as an important value when AI is starting to replace humans?

1. Teamwork benefits from different perspectives and feedback.

In a team environment, each individual can reflect different perspectives on solving problems. This leads to more effective and efficient solutions, and each person's contribution to solving problems is more valued.

In this process, the 'group IQ' improves, which has a positive impact on the team's major decision-making. In a structure where there is no excessive hierarchy and everyone can freely express their opinions, people are more active in sharing their ideas.

In particular, when there is a sense of safe connection between team members, or "psychological safety," people can express their thoughts confidently without fear of being judged, even if there is a difference of opinion. Research shows that this atmosphere leads to higher engagement, creativity, and innovation.

2. Teamwork provides opportunities for learning.

Each team member has their own unique skills and strengths. When a team works together as a unit, members naturally learn from each other, which leads to the strengthening of the entire team. This learning process builds resources and lays the foundation for your team to better take on new challenges.

3. Teamwork increases efficiency and productivity.

If one person is in charge of all the work, it will inevitably take a long time. However, if you divide tasks and share responsibilities within your team, you can get the job done faster and more effectively within the given time. Good teamwork not only improves the performance of the entire team but also the measurable efficiency of the organization.

4. Teamwork creates communication and strong working relationships.

Teamwork is effective in building relationships based on trust and respect through smooth collaboration. Even if you are not necessarily close friends, a strong working relationship is formed when you respect each other, listen openly, and collaborate.

Good communication is based on the expectation of mutual understanding and trust, and when team members work together toward a common goal, they encourage and support each other. This environment reduces work stress, and the bond between team members is a key factor in boosting morale and job satisfaction.

5. Teamwork expands the sense of accomplishment.

The sense of accomplishment that a team feels when working on a project as a unit goes beyond simple personal satisfaction. Teamwork provides a sense of belonging and a sense of 'contributing to something bigger than myself'. These emotions satisfy the intrinsic needs of human beings, and teamwork skills are a skill worth investing in.

What choice should a leader make? Teamwork is not something you are born with, but an ability to learn. Thousands of leaders and experts share strategies and guidelines to maximize their team's potential based on real-world experience and in-depth research.

The five books below are great starting points to help leaders better understand their teams, lead more effectively, and build stronger organizational cultures.

This book is written for leaders who are "surprised to see themselves in serious problems with people." This is a situation that most leaders encounter at least once.

Sarah Thur and Blair Miller directly contradict the common complaint that "people are the problem." They say that there is no perfect team, just as there is no perfect individual. However, he emphasizes that leaders should not focus on finding the next generation of stars or give up on efforts to bring out the capabilities of current team members.

The authors use the FourSight® system, which is used by some of the world's top organizations, including NASA and the SEALs, to explain why individuals on the team behave differently. FourSight is a scientifically validated tool for fostering innovation and creative problem-solving in organizations, and it divides each individual's preferred way of thinking in the creative problem-solving process into four types: Clarifier, Ideator, Developer, and Implementer.

1. Clarifier: They prefer to delve into the details of the problem and gather accurate information. Clarifiers often ask, "What exactly are we trying to solve?" The book focuses on the question. They excel at thorough analysis, fact-checking, and understanding the root cause of a problem.

2. Ideator: They prefer to explore various possibilities and create new concepts. They asked, "How else can we look at this issue?" The book focuses on the question. Idea generators are adept at recognizing patterns, finding connections between unrelated things, and breaking outside the conventional frame of mind.

3. Developer: They prefer to refine their raw ideas and develop them into realistic solutions. "How can I make this idea work?" The book focuses on the question. Developers are good at strategic thinking, process improvement, and action planning.

4. Implementer: They prefer to put their plans into action and produce results. "How can this be realized?" The book focuses on the question. Practitioners are action-oriented, efficient, and have the energy and focus needed to get the job done.

And it shows in detail how leaders who understand these differences can bring out their potential and exceed expectations in any challenge.

Michael Bungay Stanier's book How to Work with (Almost) Anyone confronts a truth that we know but have ignored.

It is the fact that almost all relationships fade over time. This applies not only to deep personal relationships, but also to casual business relationships.

Stanier does not approach the problem of relationships simply as 'how to keep things from going wrong'. He focuses on how to resolve friction when it arises and how to steer the relationship in a productive and mutually beneficial direction. In particular, he emphasizes that this approach can be a key strategy to improve communication within the team and reduce unnecessary attrition.

The book provides a practical toolkit around five key questions that every leader should ask their team members —and vice versa. By following these simple guidelines, you can have faith that the most important relationships in your organization can move beyond conflict and develop in a sustainable and healthy way.

The 5 questions are, "What do you look like when you're at your best?" (Amplify Question), "What is your preferred way of working or routine? (Steady Question)", "If you had a good collaboration experience in the past, what made the relationship good? (Good Date Question)", "If you had a difficult collaboration experience, what was the problem? (Bad Date Question)", "When we have a problem, how do we solve it? (Repair Question).

3. Jennifer Kenny - 『100% Competence』 
(Jennifer Kenny – 100% Capacity)

In 100% Capacity, executive and leadership coach Jennifer Kenny draws on 25 years of experience and extensive research to show how gender balance can create great value within teams and organizations. Her core argument is clear. If a team or organization still remains in male-dominated practices, it is not reaching its full potential 100%.

Kenny explains much of the book through real-life examples, especially those of leaders who were skeptical in the past. This shows in detail how a more balanced recruitment method can be applied.

She also presents seven key metrics to measure organizational performance, and provides practical guidance for optimizing each indicator.

The seven key indicators are as follows.

♦︎ Innovation: The ability to discover and implement creative new ideas within an organization.

♦︎ Decision-making: The process and quality of effective and rapid decision-making.

♦︎ Risk Management: The ability to identify potential risks and manage them effectively.

♦︎ Customer Experience: The overall quality of the customer experience they have as they interact with your organization.

♦︎ Employee Engagement: The degree to which employees are engaged and committed to the organization.

♦︎ Operational Excellence: The ability to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes.

♦︎ Strategy: Setting long-term goals for the organization and planning and executing them to achieve them.

Kenny argues that in order to optimize these seven indicators, it is necessary to balance the various leadership characteristics of men and women within an organization. This enables organizations to drive innovation, improve decision-making, effectively manage risk, improve customer experience, engage employees, increase operational efficiency, and successfully achieve strategic goals.

This approach helps organizations move away from traditional male-centric leadership models and build new leadership paradigms based on diversity and inclusion.

If you're having trouble leading your team effectively, that's normal.

In fact, many high performers rise to leadership positions without much preparation and are immediately faced with the reality that they are expected to excel. Performance coach and keynote speaker Jake Thompson's Better Leadership offers practical tools for becoming a leader with sustainable success.

In this book, Thompson takes a close look at the obstacles managers often face. It offers solutions to various challenges, such as struggling to manage colleagues, having to lead a team to replace a poor predecessor, or being overwhelmed by heavy management tasks.

1. Leadership is often taken on without preparation

Many high performers rise to leadership positions without much preparation, but they are immediately faced with the reality that they are expected to excel. Success in the workplace does not lead to leadership success immediately, and the probability of failure increases when there is a lack of learning and training for the role of a leader. Therefore, it is important to prepare the mind and competencies for leadership before becoming a leader, and to practice by simulating real situations.

2. Realistic obstacles faced by leaders and their solutions

Thompson analyzes the common obstacles that leaders face—the difficulty of managing colleagues, the burden of leading a team to succeed an underperforming predecessor, and the heavy management work—and proposes practical solutions to them. This emphasizes that leaders should not simply give instructions and control, but act in a way that maximizes the team's potential.

3. Right leadership mindset and execution-oriented culture

To become a leader who achieves sustainable success, it is essential to have the right leadership mindset and create a performance-oriented culture. Unlike practitioners, leaders are responsible for the performance and growth of the entire team, and must produce results that are consistent with the direction of the organization based on their ability to execute. It is important to contribute to long-term trust and team member growth rather than focusing on short-term performance.

4. The importance of building trust and relationships

The key to leadership is to move people. When a relationship of trust is established with team members, members voluntarily gain motivation and actively participate in achieving the organization's goals. Trust is built when a leader takes an interest in team members and gives and receives honest feedback. Delivering difficult feedback directly without avoiding it increases trust and creates a healthy communication culture.

5. Continuity of team member growth and performance

The achievements achieved by the leader alone are not sustainable. The performance of a useful leader lays the foundation for team members to grow and become self-reliant, and it leaves a good starting point for the next leader. Continuity of performance should be ensured through delegation of authority, system documentation, and knowledge transfer.

6. Leadership is a skill that must be developed every day

Leadership is not completed overnight. Leaders must humbly accept all situations of success and adversity, learn from their experiences, and continue to grow. Self-reflection, continuous learning, and an attitude of finding the beginning of change in the leader himself are necessary

His actionable insights help build the right leadership mindset, create a performance-driven culture, and maximize your team's potential.

The reason why "You Are The Team" is attracting attention is not because of its excellent insights. Rather, it is valuable in that it makes the reader face the truth that was so obvious that he did not realize it, and makes the reader reflect on himself.

Michael Rogers cites examples from outside the corporate world in describing the characteristics of high-performance teams. According to him, true high-performance teams are cooperative, free from selfish infighting or unnecessary drama, and consistently focused on the task at hand as well as long-term goals.

In this book, Rogers shows what decisions leaders need to make to improve the performance of the entire team, even if there is short-term friction or resistance. Based on his own experience, he gives specific suggestions on how to successfully reorganize a team and strike a balance between competition and teamwork.