The Importance of Good Teamwork

June 30, 2017
Newsletter Article

At some point in your life, you’ve most likely been instructed to complete a team building activity that seems to be an oddly complicated task to get through. There’s also someone that doesn’t “pull their weight” and maybe that person is you. Teamwork doesn’t just exist in sports or in school projects, it also plays out in the workplace. No one jumps for joy when they are on the losing team, so develop a winning mindset and set up your team for success.

Don’t Just Pull Weight, Utilize Strengths

Find out what works for you. You most likely know yourself better than anyone. Assess yourself and others to find which tasks suit each person. If there’s someone on the team who isn’t doing what they are supposed to be doing, figure out why. Maybe it is because the task you have given them isn’t the right one. Figure out each person’s strengths; everyone has them. Don’t just hand out random tasks for the team. Try to assign tasks that fit each individual so they can be productive.

Understand Diversity

Not everyone is the same. In the workplace, you will most often find yourself working with people from all over the world. People have different experiences and upbringings. When you are given a team to work with, get to know everyone. Don’t just ask them where they are from because a town doesn’t really say a whole lot about a person. Take the time to have lunch with your team and chat about things in your life outside of work. Discover people’s passions and motivations. Finding someone’s motivation can help you build a better team.

Improve the Quality of Work

Admit that you don’t know everything. You’re not an expert and there will come a point where you need help. When everyone contributes with their unique set of skills, the project can turn into a result that you might not have accomplished on your own. You can’t do everything yourself which is why teamwork is critical. Think BIG and let your team help you accomplish your goals. Not only will you have better results, but also better efficiency.

Sometimes Life Happens

Do your best to cover for people when they need it. Sometimes things come up and don’t go as planned. Communicate with the team about complications or roadblocks so you can work together to figure out what needs to be moved around to make things happen.

When Problems Emerge

Don’t fear conflict! Make conflict constructive. Ignoring conflict doesn’t solve anything so be sure to communicate often and try to solve a problem as soon as it comes up. When confronting conflict with someone don’t forget to be understanding – don’t just point blame, but try to figure out what is going on in a caring manner. If someone is causing issues and you never bring it up, the issue could continue over a long period of time. Letting a problem continue can be detrimental to the team’s success.

Accept Criticism

It’s difficult to hear people criticize you for your work, however, constructive feedback allows you to discover your weaknesses and turn them into strengths. If you never receive feedback, how can you develop yourself as a team member? Ask for feedback and keep an open mind. Get as much information as you can about what you can improve. If you want others to improve, you must show people that you are willing to grow from your own mistakes too.

Change your Attitude

Having a positive attitude is linked to happiness and success. Getting rid of a negative attitude can be difficult and takes some solid effort. Even when negative situations get thrown your way try to turn them into something positive. A negative attitude affects everyone and can destroy a team’s success. Get rid of destructive thoughts and words and replace them with something positive. Start by being aware of what you’re saying and ask yourself if it will add value to the team or not.

If you haven’t experienced it yet, you will soon find out that the workplace environment needs a team effort. Which team do you want to be on?