The benefits of teamwork
“Teamwork makes the dream work”. When is this phrase rolled out most often? In our experience, it’s usually shared when celebrating the success of a project. Picture the scene – everyone in the project team is thrilled and exhausted in equal measure, patting each other on the back and agreeing ‘teamwork makes the dream work’! The question is, did the team collaborate effectively throughout the lifecycle of the project, or only in the final stages? Would they have declared that ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ when they were one third of the way through, or were there frustrations, stepping on one another’s toes, and/or accusations about certain factions not pulling their weight?
Collaboration is one of ICC’s Five Pillars of High-Performance, and for very good reason. In most high-performing organisations, there is always clear evidence of consistent and inclusive team-working and cross-functional exchanges, leading to optimised delivery. In previous Virtual Coach Articles we have provided ideas on how to improve collaboration, but here’s a reminder about why it’s so vital.
Effective Collaboration is the secret ingredient to success. Here’s why:
- Better Ideas: Working inclusively with others opens the door to different perspectives and experiences, leading to more creative solutions.
- Shared Strengths: Everyone brings unique skills to the table, and if we recognise these and build on them together, a team can achieve far more than any one person could alone.
- Learning and Growth: Collaboration exposes us to new knowledge, helping us develop and improve faster.
- Builds Relationships: It builds trust and stronger connections, and we are always more likely to reach out to people who we trust when we need support or assistance.
Collaboration isn’t simply lengthy Teams meetings or formal Board meetings, some of the best working relationships are built informally as part of a culture that fosters community empowerment, talking to those around us, listening hard to what they say, and recognising the diverse skills, knowledge and experience that we all bring to the party.
How will you ensure that ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ on every day of every project, not just in the ‘all hands to the deck’ stage at the end? Need help? Get in touch, you’re In Cool Company.
