Business is a team sport
Business is like a team sport – you compete and then you win or lose. If you are doing your best, chances of being a winner increase. However, all your efforts seem to be fruitless when you are alone facing numerous rivals working together to beat you. In the exhausting game of business, rules are the same – you have to create your team, which will support you on the way to achieve your goal. When you understand that business is a team sport, it will be easier to succeed.
Here are some reasons why teamwork in business is more effective than working alone:
- Shared goal – if you’ve chosen your team wisely, each of the team members would remember that you are working to achieve your shared goal. Not only the aim itself, but also the deadline should be clearly stated so that everyone remembers about it. Moreover, each of your teammates ought to know what his exact role is. In such conditions, it is likely that your work will progress.
- Leadership – in every team sport there has to be a leader. Bulls had Michael Jordan, Celtics had Larry Bird. Your team is not an exception. The leader should know how to motivate employees. His role is to set the example – be hard-working, creative and punctual. The best leaders can convince his workers that there is no such thing as impossible.
- Unique skills – diversity is the key word. Not every player on the football pitch is a striker and shoots goals. Your team should be based on people with different skills and personalities. However, it is perfect when all of them are crazy about their job. It is said that success stems from creative chaos. The most difficult task is to change the chaos into a unique piece of work. If you take it into consideration, the diversity among employees would make your business flourish.
- Plan – every team should have a plan and follow it. The tactics is usually taught before the game. It enables players to get to know the competition and understand their moves better. The same with business. Organize your tactics. Let it be flexible and maverick. Be ready to adapt to changes. Without a plan, no project would succeed. That’s the simple truth.
- Communication – players have to speak with each other. Not only after the game but also during it. It is easier to defend your position if there are more eyes that watch your back. Making business with many people of different skills and personalities often leads to conflicts. If you can’t discuss things through, you are prone to lose. So agree, disagree, discuss – give your opinions and learn from the opposite arguments. Communication is a key to success.
- Responsibility – each player has to take care of his own task but at the same time be ready to support teammates. In a business environment, it’s alike. First of all, be responsible for your own work. Secondly, be ready to help your teammates and don’t reject the help from others if you are the one who needs it most. Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it?
To sum things up, there is little likelihood that one man defeats a team of well-trained rivals who can cooperate. Only when you create a professional team, will your business have a chance to succeed. Try to take advantage of those tips. They seem to be quite simple, however, combining all of them is not always an easy task. If it were so simple, every business would make enormous profits.
Photo credit: CC via flickr by The U.S. Army