“Teamwork, makes the dream work!”

Everyone has heard phrases like teamwork makes the dream work, alone we can do little but together we can do  much, chains are only as strong as their weakest link, many hands make light work, there is no I in team and my personal favorite TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. Sure these can be funny and cliche but there is something powerful and meaningful behind them.  The word team is defined as “a number of persons associated together in work or activity” while work is defined as being “engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or result, especially in one’s job; do work”(Merriam-Webster).  In putting both words together, teamwork then is the “work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole”(Merriam-Webster).  If you notice that in the definition of the word work, the sense is that the ultimate goal is for one’s own individual achievement.  Teamwork has everyone using their own purpose and achievements but for the the final and ultimate goal is not for oneself but for the whole.

Teamwork is not something that can be easily achieved, Lord knows I can attest to that not just a work but in my home life too! I am a mother of three children, two dogs,  and a wife.  My team starts with my oldest beautiful daughter who is fourteen years old (I know , just pray for me now), she is followed by her nine year old handsome brother, and then by her perfect angel little eight year old sister (and no I do not have favorites).  We are five people (seven, for  those who are dog lovers) with different likes and dislikes, different ways of communicating, different life experiences, various levels of responsibilities,  all unique individuals living under one roof with one common goal.  That goal is to be a healthy, loving, successful family.

Now, in order for my family, my team to be successful and continue to hit our mark we have to intentionally continue to cultivate the type of environment that allows for those things to happen. A lot of the skill and characteristics that we can use can be the ones used from team building for success and synergy.  Since we are a team by all means of the definition and synergy is “a cooperative or combined action, and occurs when diverse or disparate individuals or groups collaborate for a common cause’… whose goal is to “increase effectiveness by sharing perceptions and experiences, insights, and knowledge” (Moran, Abramson, Moran, 2014, p.266).  The characteristics that aid in this cultivation are skills like: taking interest in each member’s achievement, the ability to give and accept feedback and not get defensive, the ability to be open to change, cultivate listening skills, clarify roles, relationships, assignments,and  responsibilities,promotes an approach that is goal-directed, seeks group participation, divides the labor fairly, and synchronizes effort (that is exactly what a “working”family should be doing),  and foster an environment of trust, confidence, and commitment, to the group.(Moran, Abramson, Moran, 2014, p.266).

These are not only skills and characteristics that people should develop and build upon in the workforce but are very useful to people that find themselves in any team setting.  My husband and myself as coaches must continuously not only teach our children characteristics and skills that will aid them in acquiring and implementing these characteristics but also model it for them in our everyday lives.  When as a family “team” we all participate to walking this out not only do we become better people for ourselves but we become better for others.  Our home runs smoother, the environment becomes more positive, and everyone ends up better off in the long run!

Reference

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.