Not-too-fast, not-to-slow speed please! I am aware that the Q-A for this set of topic is quite long, but I just want to hear one speaker read it. Therefore, if you find it difficult to read it simultaneously, I suggest you break it down into two recordings like Questions 1-4 + Questions 5-9.
Teamwork
1. Do you think teamwork is important?
Yeah, I’d say it’s extremely important, because I mean so much of what we do in life involves working together with others. And not only that, but I think it’s also true to say that what we can achieve with others is so much more than what we can achieve individually. And so I’d say this goes to show just how essential it is to have good teamwork skills.
2. What qualities do you think a good team member should have?
Well thinking about it, I guess one important quality would be the willingness to listen to and accept other people’s opinions, because so often it’s the case that people just disregard ideas that are different to their own without really giving them much thought. So that’s one thing, and as well as this, I suppose another important quality would be having an easy-going attitude, which will make it easier to get on well with the other members of the team, and in so doing, strengthen the team spirit.
3. How does a good member of a team contribute to the team?
Well, I guess first of all, the most important thing they do is carry out their role to the best of their ability. And as well as this, I’d say another thing that good team players do is to help out other members of the team who might be struggling with their work and falling behind. So in other words, they’re not just concerned with their own work, but that of the whole team.
4. How do you think a team should be organized?
Well I suppose the best way would be to be to delegate roles and responsibilities according to each person’s abilities. So for example, if one person has especially good analytical skills, then their job could be to sift through data and draw up conclusions from it, and if another person’s especially good at communicating, then their role could be making the presentation for the group. So I think if a team’s organized in this way, it will be at its most effective.
5. Do you think a team needs to have a leader?
That’s a very good question, and to be honest with you, I’m not really all that sure, but my guess would be that it probably depends on the size of the team. So if it’s only a team of two, for example, then a leader’s probably not all that necessary, but if it’s a team of, say, 20, then I think it’s fair to say that having a leader would make the group far more organized and effective. So basically I’d say the larger the team, the more necessary it is to have a leader.
6. How should a team leader do his or her job?
Well I’ve never actually been a team leader before, so I can’t say for sure, but I suppose the first thing they should do is to make sure everyone in the team is clear about what they are trying to achieve, and then assign roles to each member accordingly. And if any problems arise, then I guess it’s the leader’s responsibility to solve them.
7. Do you think it’s always necessary to have a strong team leader?
No, I wouldn’t say it is, because if you think about it, if the team is made up of very smart and capable people, then I’m sure they would be able to work together well, regardless of whether or not the leader was strong. But on the other hand, if the team was comprised of relatively incompetent people, then having a strong leader would be much more necessary.
8. Do you think it’s important for children to have experiences doing things in a team?
Yeah, most definitely, because I mean, it’s a great way to help children develop their communication and teamwork skills, which will be essential for them later in life.
9. Do you have any ideas on how to help children learn to co-operate with others and work as a team?
That’s a good question, and a tough one to answer, because I don’t have any such experience, but thinking about it, I’d say one way of cultivating their teamwork skills would be through games, because after all, every child enjoys playing games. So if they were given games to play which involved working together with other children, then I think this would be a very effective way of developing their sense of teamwork.
I made some drastic changes to this interview based on the fact that I have interviewed people. If this is for an American based job may I offer some recommendations? I would NEVER say I didn't know an answer or lack experience. I would say something passive such as "based on what I have researched" and then go into your explanation on how you would handle a situation. Do not use negatives in your statements. Work on using positives. Good luck!