The power of teams
by Bernard McGrath, Inspection Validation Centre

"Well, that is all the questions we want to ask. Have you got any you want to ask us?" This is a standard phrase used at most job interviews and of course you will always have something prepared. A standard question about salary or pension, perhaps? In the past you may have asked if a company car went with the position, although now you are more likely to ask if there will be a car parking space available or if you will have your own paper basket!

Once you have completed your questions of the interviewers, it is always beneficial to take the opportunity, whether you are invited to or not, to add to what has been discussed in the interview. This may be to emphasise a particular skill you have or highlight an achievement which has not been brought out by the questions you have faced. At the first interview where I applied this advice about selling myself, I was slightly embarrassed and felt I was stating something from my background which was too obvious to mention. I informed the panel about my experience and knowledge of working in teams.

All my life I had lived, played and worked with other people. Being part of a team was and is second nature to me. I would have felt it more worthy at the interview to say that I was totally self-sufficient and didn't need to rely on anyone else. But the foundations for teamwork were laid in the school playground and nurtured in the school sports teams. Even the individual sports such as swimming had a strong team element in them.

I suspect that with the social and technological changes over recent years we have lost sight of the benefits that can be provided by teamwork. The emphasis has been very much on the individual and even some so-called teams are just collections of individuals. A team has the power to be more than just the sum of the individuals. When Alan Hansen made his infamous statement about not winning anything with kids, he didn't account for the fact that he was not just referring to individuals but to kids who had been forged into a team. And to coin a phrase, the rest is history.

A recent magazine article related how social psychologists have shown that people can be persuaded to do things in groups which they would never do when acting alone. This is particularly effective if the group is in opposition to people who are perceived to be different to the group. Unfortunately, as shown in current news items regarding gangs and terrorists attacks, this property of teams is frequently used in a negative way. But it can just as easily be harnessed to positive goals.

NDT tends to be an individual activity. A single operator performs an inspection and, even when surrounded by managers and engineers, the nominated person holding the specific qualification is left to make the judgement. Individual and specific qualifications are important but a better use of teamwork could enhance the job of the operators. At the very least, research on vigilance has shown that people working in pairs or even threes maintained concentration better than an individual.

NDT is often a grudge purchase and if defects are found the results are not always happily accepted. So NDT professionals should have no difficulty in seeing themselves as different to and often against other technical disciplines. As shown above, this should enhance our team cohesion. The Branches of the Institute provide ready-made teams for the improvement and development of our profession. It is good to see that most Branches have a good programme of activities for the forthcoming year. The black mark is the North West Branch, which remains dormant despite having a large number of members.

The question all NDT professionals should ask is: "are we extracting the most benefit we could get from team activities?" You have nothing to lose. As I found out at an early age, as a member of a team, when asked how your team had got on after a defeat, you can always add the mitigating rider: "but I played well."

Please note that the views expressed in this column are the author's own personal ramblings for the purpose of encouraging discussion within the NDT Newspaper. They do not represent the views of the IVC, Serco Assurance or the HSE who funded the PANI projects.

Letters can be mailed to The Editor, NDT News, 1 Spencer Parade, Northampton NN1 5AA. Fax: 01604 231489; E-mail: ndtnews@bindt.org or e-mail Bernard McGrath direct at Bernard.McGrath@sercoassurance.com