TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK.

In my recent articles, I have been looking at our places of work and how to step it up performance wise to get the appreciation and even that raise we always dream about. Most of the times we think in the singular. I. Me. Sometimes ME, I want a raise. Lol!

Do we ever think about WE? How about if WE pull together as workers WE can all benefit and eat from the same pie? Think about it! If WE worked together as a team at the work place, WE would secure more business and WE could (well, maybe not ALL of us at the same time…) demand a better salary because the company has made more money. There are benefits to team work. Take a look below:

1. We Get to Learn.

In a room of 5-7 people, are 5-7 totally different experiences. This brings about creativity to handle the task at hand. You might even learn a new way of doing something; shortcuts, new software that helps you work faster and more efficiently. These skills not only overall help the group but also sharpen you as an individual.

2. We Are Stronger Together.

Someone once said these words:

Will we ever know who gave us that wise African Proverb? Must have been a Kamba. They’re the long distance traders right? Lol. You see, in a group we all shine with our strengths. We can lean onto each other’s special skills/ talents in order to get the job done in an exceptional way. Say I am really good at negotiations (which I am!) and you are good at writing proposals, we can come up with a business idea and pitch to a potential client and get the business. But we cannot know each others strengths if we do not team up.

3. We Resolve Better.

Now let’s be honest here. In that same room of 5-7 people, all with ideas that they feel are excellent, all gifted with different strengths, the possibility of things getting volatile are pretty high. At the end of the day though, the work has to get done. We must resolve the issue to move forward. This is where we learn conflict resolution. You can later add this very important skill to your CV or appraisal review when the time comes for you to ask for a better salary package.

4. We Belong. (Togetheeeeeer!! – Mariah Carey 😂)

There is always this good feeling I get after a proper brainstorming session with my team. (Yes, gossip does help to break the ice and get laughter going before the session!) But even more important is the feeling of oneness, sense of fulfilment. Working in a team makes every party feel that they have that responsibility to make things work. That we all have a stake in the project. That is a powerful feeling because everyone connects. There is synergy. And you can accomplish so much with that kind of connection.

5. We Trust Each Other.

By working together, we are able to establish trust in one another by encouraging the members of the team to float whatever idea they may have. The open communication produces effective solutions for the task at hand. This builds trust. By working together, we get to clearly see that wins and losses affect the entire team. Therefore we must have each other’s back.

We Take More Risks.

And calculated risks at that! You see, within a team, where you have fully discussed the issue, and as one, decided to forge in a certain direction, one feels they are “cushioned” even if things don’t really go according to plan. When alone, you wouldn’t even think if venturing into those murky waters, since all blame will fall on you. So together as a team, we are able to push the envelope just a little bit further and more often than not, the results are worth it.

Here’s to us. Working together as a team, and achieving more.

Love. Live. Learn.

Mwalimu Rachel.