“Teamwork divides the tasks and multiplies the success” – Author Unknown
Super Bowl LIII though thought by many to be less than exciting was in fact a textbook demonstration of teamwork. The New England Patriots didn’t win an unprecedented sixth championship on talent alone.
The Patriots organization is powered by good players being led by top coaches backed by an outstanding front office. These three departments had to be on the same page while doing some serious problem solving early in the season to make it to the playoffs.
The players and coaches are held to a high standard of excellence. Bill Belichick developed this winning team with a strong work ethic and a sense of personal responsibility that makes the players unwilling to let each other down.
Dreams are Accomplished Together
Teams collectively bask in the glory of their wins and equally feel the pain of their losses. Teams demonstrate the benefits of doing business in community. If handled correctly, teams make winning a more celebratory experience and losing a valuable time for learning providing an opportunity to regroup and return even stronger.
Good teams generate more ideas, providing leaders with more options. Everyone brings a skillset and a unique perspective to the table adding value to each other. In the end everyone contributes and learns from one another.
We are More Effective Together
Being more effective together is nothing new it’s how we learn. From grades 1 thru 12 we were sitting and learning in groups. Today many are learning in interactive online classes. My point is whether on teams or in groups, we are always more effective together because each of us adds something to the experience.
I never saw classroom settings as teamwork while I was in school yet, if we look around, we see learning in groups everywhere. From the classroom to the boardroom to the locker room we see groups pursuing a single objective together.
We Learn More Together
Since the beginning of time people have known that living, learning and working together is always more effective. In recent years there has been more interest in the “Social Learning Theory” by Albert Bandura.
His theory states that we learn better when observing other people and begin doing things the way they do them. This behavior is played out repeatedly in groups. We admire certain skills or traits in others and make them our role model in that area. All this is taking place in a community environment.
We Play as One Together
Teamwork creates a relational atmosphere forming a special bond among the members. The relationships become motivating and empowering forming a loyalty that doesn’t develop in any other environment.
Although this bond inspires each member to work harder, the group collectively is working smarter. The mutual trust and support derived from working together will enable each member to communicate and connect with the others on a deeper level. The team’s synergistic power comes from its reliance on each member’s performance, they do not want to let each other down.
Amy C. Edmondson says, “musicians form bands, chamber groups, and orchestras that rely on interdependent talents. A symphony falls apart unless the string section coordinates with the woodwinds, brass, and percussionists. Even when a soloist is featured on stage, the orchestral score has a part for every musician.
A successful performance is one in which the musicians complement one another and play in harmony. Like all good teams, they display synergy. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The players understand that they succeed or fail together—they win or lose as a team.” (1)
"Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work" - Vince Lombardi
(1) Teaming by Amy C. Edmondson
*** This article was authored by John Picarello, Chief Leadership Officer at Lions Pride Leadership Co.***