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You have probably heard the saying, “There is no ‘I’ in team.” While this is a true
statement, the “I” the quote is referring to is you – and you are an important part
of many teams. Teams are all around us. Your family could be considered a
team. Perhaps you sing in the choir at church or play softball. Maybe you have
formed a study group in class. All of these are teams with participants, roles,
responsibilities, and a purpose. The more you know about how teams work and
how to interact appropriately in your role on the team, the more successful you
will be.
Dictionary.com defines teamwork as the “cooperative or coordinated effort on
the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a
common cause.” Teamwork should lighten the burden on each individual and
result in superior outcomes because it incorporates expertise from many people.
Why then do some people dread the idea of being on a team? Chances are,
people who dislike being part of a team have had a bad experience.
Often they have been
on ineffective teams
that wasted time and
didn’t achieve the
goal, or maybe they
were forced to
participate on a team
that was comprised of
members that either
dominated every
meeting or were lazy
and didn’t contribute.
Let’s take a look at
some of the attributes
that lead to a
successful team, so we
can avoid bad team
experiences.
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Section 9 – Working in Teams