Creating Teamwork in the Workplace

In many situations it's taken for granted that work and fun cannot coexist. Most executives have never existed in a workplace where teamwork was the rule rather than the exception.

People are scared of moving out of their comfort zone into a cooperative workplace; building teamwork is hard.

There seems to be two major reasons for peoples' fear:

• People often value security over happiness in their workplace: They're willing to sacrifice happiness and mental health for the knowledge that they'll have a job tomorrow. Security seems to be the enemy of joy and teamwork.
• People dislike change, and teamwork is big change: This is the logical result of the fact that security is represented by a stable, non-changing workplace.

Teamwork in the workplace brings joy to the organization or team that can accept it, and develop a system that infuses the organization with it.

Teamwork is fundamental to human nature.

It is lectured about in business courses, preached about at church, we expect it in our sports teams. . . so why does it happen so rarely in our working life? The life we spend most of our waking hours pursuing?

Why is there such a fundamental chasm between our work and our home - between our career and our happiness?

Fact: Humans are intelligent. We've been given the ability to reason, make decisions, act upon them, and deal with the consequences. Why do you think there's such a profound lack of teamwork in the workplace?

Especially when the benefits of working together are clear, what's holding people back?

Fear Undermines Teamwork

In business however, the conflict almost always comes when our core values conflict with our organizations bottom line.

In an organization designed like this, it's nearly always the individual who gets thrown under the bus. . . to protect the bottom line.

In many situations our vision of a teamwork in the workplace is just a pipedream.

How To Protect the Bottom Line and the Individual

By designing a team that works well together and operates upon proven principles that protect both the endeavor and the people working toward it. A team that performs their tasks with creativity, purpose and meaning.

The same core characteristics and principles that build great organizations are integral to building teamwork in the workplace, regardless of your team's size.

People want and revel in responsibility when it is given to them with trust. The fact is, people want a say over their destiny and the outcome of their work. They want to contribute to the betterment of the team. They want to own the skills that get the job done right. Are your people learning those skills?

Many people might say: "Doesn't all that responsibility cause too much stress?" The fact is: debilitating stress only comes from a person's inability to control the outcome of a certain situation. Hopelessness is real stress.

To build an environment of workplace teamwork, you must "let go and let God" as the old saying goes. It's important to give your team the skills to cope and perform in difficult situations, and the confidence that they have your trust to succeed. . . or fail. And they will.

Failure is an Integral Part of Success

Why?

• It gives us needed feedback.
• It teaches people how to win.

Individuals, regardless of their position within the company, want to feel important and to be confident in their unique talents and abilities. They want to be trusted with important tasks and situations, and to be responsible for the outcome.

That is the core of building teamwork in the workplace.