Teamwork is our core value and telecoms is a teamwork industry. We have to leverage the professionalism of all our staff members on developing a powerful network, as well as unrivalled customer services.
Importance
We start promoting teamwork during orientation, when we use workshops to tell all new hires of its importance and our expectations. Most projects rely on efforts between teams and departments. We encourage regular and constructive dialogue to get the best out of each of the team members, who share responsibility for agreed actions.
Policies
Teambuilding is aimed at providing a platform for staff to know each other better and develop individual strengths and personal values. We regularly organise different activities, such as staff wellness programmes, the Mini Challenge, volunteer services and the SmarTone-Vodafone Hong Kong Challenge, to provide opportunities for our staff to promote teamwork.
For the annual Mini Challenge, we usually have more than 300 participants undergoing training activities to develop their strategic mindset and stretch their physical endurance more than three months before the competition itself.
Initiative
After the event, team members gain a solid understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses, and become more engaged with the team and the company. Some participants have set up a Facebook page for the SmarTone-Vodafone Mini Challenge Alumni to share their experiences.
The top five teams in the Mini Challenge advance to the annual SmarTone-Vodafone Hong Kong Challenge. This programme also demonstrates our company's commitment to corporate social responsibility, a key example of which is the drive to raise funds for the SmarTone-Vodafone AYP International Exchange Programme Fund. With support from top businesses, 300 underprivileged youth have had the opportunity to participate in overseas community programmes.
Over three days and two nights, 24 teams from leading corporations, including five from SmarTone-Vodafone, must outperform each other in strategic, mental and physical team challenges. The activities entail high-level teamwork, strategising, problem-solving and prioritising.
Communication
Teamwork must be built on a common goal, which should be clearly communicated to all parties at the earliest opportunity.
There should be constructive relationships with others, showing respect and consideration. Timely communication is needed to update everybody on the progress of projects and to seek advice or support.
Communication should not just rely on e-mail. We have developed our own "Knowledge Sharing Portal" on the intranet to enable staff to share views and knowledge. With a common goal and a consistent pace, team spirit is much more sustainable.
