RANTS & RAVES

Team work or team woes?

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” –

Helen Keller

What is team work? Simply stated it is the process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal. Now if everyone is on board and has a similar vision this is great unfortunately this isn’t always the case. You know what I’m talking about.

How many of you look forward to working on a group project? Whether in a business setting or at school with your peers? For the most part, I see it as the opportunity to combine forces and produce the best product that will blow the socks off your audience or at least get you a round of applause. Unfortunately, this only works when your teammates are as goal orientated as you.

Some individuals loathe the idea of working with others for many legit reasons. These ‘problems’ appear in many forms disguised as people or worse yet… your teammates. There are those who contribute nothing, they nod occasionally and agree with the majority, never actually giving any ideas or opinions. Then, there are those who make excuses for being late, for not being able to attend discussions and for not helping out in any form.

Why deal with these characters when you know you are better off doing it yourself? I mean, you have to be dependable cause you surely can’t rely on them. So you take on the majority of the workload just to make sure it gets done properly and on time. But sooner or later, resentment kicks in and you end up with all these toxic feelings. You either swear to never work with that person again or when you have no choice, continue doing the work begrudgingly.

But what if you really aren’t capable of giving input to the project? I feel you still can participate and be useful. Help out with the legwork like making copies at the printers or going to the store to get supplies. Collecting data or other basic tasks show you are making an effort to help out the team and that counts.

If you really don’t know how to assist your team, for pete sake… ask! Communication is key and that my friend, is another step to reaching the goal.

by Noor F.Z. Ali Image | Unsplash

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