22 May 2018

Team work can increase productivity, unity and communication resulting in enhanced service delivery, says Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Nonofo Molefhi.

Addressing staff from his ministry on May 23, Mr Molefhi said team work was used across diverse spheres to increase performance and employee unity resulting in more service delivery.   

He said cohesive employees were less likely to be confrontational  and more accepting of decisions which could benefit government service delivery initiatives.

He said both supervisors and subordinates needed to strike a balance on how best to work as a team for the good of the country.

Minister Molefhi added that team work promoted conversation and prevented employees from working in opposite directions.

Team cohesion, he said, could increase work flow as it was the backbone of effective communication.

“When employees work as individuals or independently on projects, they may not readily share knowledge or new information, and this lack of communication could increase the time it takes to complete projects, tasks or the development of solutions,” he said.

He also emphasised the need for civil servants to create a respectful atmosphere in the workplace, saying respectful behaviour could lift spirits and brighten one’s cloudy day.

He noted that a workplace with no respect may result in high conflict reports and misunderstandings leading to a demoralised workforce and low productivity.

Treating someone with respect, he said, could instill confidence in them and offer them encouragement to accomplish a task that could be of benefit to Batswana.

Mr Molefhi highlighted that when colleagues showed respect towards each another in the workplace, a sense of fairness was established and that incidents of horseplay would be eliminated. He added that more energy would be  invested on positive thinking and taking services to the public.

Permanent secretary in the same ministry, Mr Thuso Ramodimoosi urged public servants to always adhere to the Public Service Charter.

He noted that the charter outlined  basic principles of public service by which officers were guided, both in their relations with each other and in their dealings with the public.

Mr Ramodimoosi also encouraged civil servants to adhere  to  the  highest  standards  of  diligence  and efficiency  as  a  matter  of  pride  and  national  duty when serving the community. Ends