Teamwork: Some key points

A great team can achieve almost anything. This is true in a football team, a group of scientists, a large company and, without a doubt, in the gym too! But what makes a great team? In this article, we will reflect further on this topic.

Teamwork is defined as the cooperative relationship between individuals or groups in order to achieve common goals or to complete tasks that, individually, would be practically impossible to achieve. It is important to note that teamwork is not necessarily related to the number of team members, but the interaction between them. A team with few members can be much more efficient than one with many members if it knows how to work as a team.

As we mentioned earlier, a great team has the potential to achieve great things and be practically unstoppable! Each team member has a set of talents and resources that, when perfectly combined, guarantee an excellent final result. It is up to the leader to recognise and work on these skills in order to get the most value out of the “gold” in their hands.

How do you build a strong, cohesive, and successful team?

Here are some key points:
1. The team members need to have common goals, clearly understood by each one of them. If each person pursues their own individual goals, the cohesion of the team may suffer. Of course, people can and have the right to have their dreams and personal ambitions, but there is one essential point: the team always comes first.
2. All team members must have a full level of commitment to their individual roles and responsibilities within the team structure.
3. Each team member must be willing to share information with other colleagues, which contributes to the good functioning of the team with the exchange of ideas, solutions and know-how.
4. Active listening should be implemented, facilitating communication and empathy between team members easier. In other words, knowing how to talk but also knowing how to listen to others.
5. Team members should be encouraged to participate in the decision-making process, feeling that their opinion matters and that they can express their point of view.
6. The lines of communication should be open so that everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions with others in the group.
7. Disrespect for the rules or other improper conduct should be dealt with immediately.

The success of a team requires success in leadership

It is often said that a team is the image of its leader. If you want to lead a team efficiently, there are some aspects that you can and should consider.

Be clear about your objectives

As a leader, you should take the time to share the objectives with your team. Make sure that everyone has the information and tools they need to do their job. Be specific, clear, and concise in explaining the objectives, so that each member clearly understands what is expected of them.  

Give due recognition

Demanding performance should go hand in hand with recognition. Giving recognition to your team will make them more cohesive and motivated.  

Lead by example

Leading by example means living the company’s values and culture not only by words but also by actions. Saying one thing and doing another is halfway to having an unmotivated team.
Finally, we suggest you do the following exercise: reflect and write down the 5 most important values of your business. Below, we share some suggestions that you may or may not adopt.
• Integrity
• Courage
• Honesty
• Trustworthiness
• Responsibility
• Passion
• Humility
• Continuous learning
• Diversity
• Simplicity
• Innovation
• Empathy
• …
A successful team achieves success through the desire to win of each member, aligned with the commitment and courage to leave the comfort zone and reach higher performance levels. That is why teamwork requires strong values and a sense of mission by which everyone aligns. With this article, we hope you will be more aware of the values that you want to implement in your team, as well as the behaviours that you want to see changed or added.