Slippery Rock Gazette

Sharon Koehler

Artistic Stone Design

The vice president of my company has an expression he likes to use when everything is flowing well, and everyone is working together as a team. He says, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”  I like this expression much better than “There is no I in team.” While both of these are true, teamwork doesn’t happen overnight. It actually takes a lot of work to create a viable, cohesive, tight-knit team. 

Before anything else, you have to consider the members of the team and what their strengths and weaknesses are. I am super good at planning, research, organization, lists, schedules, deadlines, minute details and keeping things running. I can cross my t’s and dot my i’s like nobody’s business, but I can’t color coordinate a daggone thing. We have a designer here who does that, and she does it really well. That’s her thing. It’s what she’s good at. I fill a need as does she, but we could never switch our roles. That would just be a disaster waiting to happen. Consider what everybody does well and build on that. Don’t try to make someone strong in an area they are weak in. That destroys confidence and creates a weakness in your team. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expect someone to better themselves or learn a new skill. It just means that the team works better when you build on strengths, not weaknesses. 

All that being said, the team needs to have a clear direction, expectations and goals. The whole team needs to be aware of the end game, what needs to be accomplished and why. Better yet, they all need to believe in it and be committed to it.  The guy (or gal) that just shows up every day to do the bare minimum and collect a check may not be the best team member. A team is only as strong as its weakest member. Your team members need to all work together toward the common goal and be invested in its outcome.

However, not only does the team as a whole need to understand what is expected, each member must be aware of what is expected of them and what they are expected to contribute to the team. Team members cannot just guess at what they need to do or how they need to contribute. That just creates confusion and the possible resentment of a team member for not doing “their share.” If someone is faltering, talk to them. Maybe they weren’t made aware of all their responsibilities or tasks. 

Not only does the team as a whole need to understand what is expected, each member must be aware of what is expected of them and what they are expected to contribute to the team.

There needs to be an environment of collaboration and communication. Team members can’t be afraid to express themselves. Not everyone thinks the same, sees situations the same, has the same knowledge or the same strengths. The above-mentioned vice president has an extensive background in plumbing. I have an extensive background in kitchen design. When I come across a plumbing issue, I seek him out. When he has a cabinet question, he talks to me. When we have a company situation – good or bad, we all talk to each other to get each other’s opinions and insights. We collaborate. We communicate. It works for us. 

Collaboration and communication is good for a team, but a team must have a clear leader. The leader must be someone who can guide the team to its final objective. The team leader must understand the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and be able to talk to them and answer their questions about anything concerning their tasks or assignments. The leader must also be able to make decisions about the mission of the team and convey those decisions clearly to everyone involved. 

Once the team is in place and the goals and expectations have been made clear, don’t expect the team to jell right away. It can take a while. People have to get used to each other and discover how everyone can work together. Some adjustments or changes may have to be made to make it work. Time will tell.

If some time goes by and the team is still struggling, there are some things you can do to try to get it on track. There are many, many team-building activities to look into. Some can be done as an outing like bubble soccer or a locked room adventure where the participants have to work together for a common goal. There are also many team-building activities that can be done right in the office. Searching online will show you hundreds of team-building exercises in several different categories.

For example, Human Chain is a problem-solving exercise, while Blind Count Off is a listening and strategy exercise. Another popular idea is to have the team volunteer to do something together for a charity or other worthy cause. 

Just remember, no matter the reason for the team or its objective, “There is no I in team,” and “Teamwork truly does make the dream work.”

Please send your thoughts on this article to Sharon Koehler at Sharon@asdrva.rocks.