In this series, The Tricks of Teamwork, we have explored the characteristics that are critical to one's skill and success as a team player. This article will focus on the last of the six, which is Collaboration.
Teams do not need to be inseparable by any means. We are individuals, so some level of separateness is to be expected, but when our independence interferes with our ability to work together toward a common goal, we know we are in trouble. As a team, we have to be moving in the same direction; otherwise, it is impossible to experience any unity or camaraderie.
In order for a group to be operating as a team, each individual must be willing to align her needs and objectives with those of her team. If one player is determined to "hog the ball," or be a "lone ranger," or stand out as the "all-star," that action is bound to alter the other players' attitudes. Selfishness of any sort separates players, whereas, collaboration creates cohesion and concordance.
Let's imagine this scenario. A basketball team has five all-stars that the coach typically leaves in during the entire game. These five players are so good that substitutes are not needed. Well, if one player unexpectedly decided that during a particular game, he was not going to pass to anybody, but instead, he was going to play the entire game by himself. What would happen? Well, two things would obviously result from that situation. First, his team members would probably be furious and frustrated. Second, the other team would quickly catch on to his game plan and would focus all of their energy on this player, which would inevitably shut him down and leave him no room to succeed. So, his selfish ambitions would cost him his reputation and his team's support, but even more noticeably, his behavior would cost his team the game. Individual decisions made in a team environment will undoubtedly affect the rest of the team. The positive news in this is that as an individual you have a lot of influence over your team's success, the negative news is that some team players use this power poorly.
Getting along is definitely not always the easiest thing to do, but staying on the same side is essential if you hope to at least be looking in the same direction. Building this connection is quite possibly the first step a team should take to find their way to the other five tricks of teamwork: Competency, Commitment, Adaptability, Communication and Awareness.
Doug C. Watsabaugh, senior partner at WCW Partners, understands how to meet your unique performance challenges. With more than 20 years of experience, WCW Partners is a performance-improvement company that helps businesses revitalize their results and achieve record-breaking performance.
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