Do you remember the first time you learned about the power of teamwork? I’m guessing that you were probably pretty young.
As a child you were used to people doing things for you, like cutting your food. Teamwork was something different.
It could have been a situation where you and a friend joined forces to carry a full bucket of water across a lawn. On your own, neither of you could have done it. Together, it was suddenly possible.
This was a mind blowing discovery. What you could do well, could be improved upon with the help of others. As a result, the otherwise unachievable could be accomplished.
Flash forward a few decades. You work in a big organization and are surrounded by people who do specific tasks well.
The big productivity question is whether any teamwork takes place.
Very often, employees start to work out of silos. They isolate themselves and only focus on their work.
I can understand this because often the workplace is not a teamwork friendly zone. For some, teamwork is about getting other people to do their work for them. That’s a potential workplace culture killer.
What I’m suggesting is that you create opportunities for people to engage in teamwork. Odds are that there are people who sit nearby who could help make someone else better. And it would likely not be just a one-way transaction.
This could be as simple as getting your team together and having them talk about their strengths, as well as the areas where they feel challenged. Then see if some organic matchmaking can take place among your group.
The focus should be on helping everyone get a little better. It’s not about one person telling another how to do his or her job. A collaborative spirit is key.
Remember the child with the full water bucket? There’s a chance that he or she might have eventually gotten the job done without another person. That would have likely involved a lot of time, frustration, and spilled water. Teaming up with someone else made all the difference and opened a world of possibilities.
Embrace a culture of teamwork and watch your organization transform.
