Often we see people working together. When we are introduced to them, they present themselves as a team. We think also that they are a team.
However, when looking closer at these people we see that they have different goals, operating on different agendas, level of responsibility among them is diverged. We see that there is one who is assigning work to everybody. This person has taken over the responsibility and is making sure the work gets done. Each individual has a different commitment to accomplishing the common goals. They form a group of people working together and not a team.
So what does it take to form a team?
We know that great teams comply to at least the following:
- Team members are passionate
- They trust each other and do not have to guard each word in their discussions
- They are willing to sacrifice for the success of the team
- They do whatever it takes to prevent letting their peers down
- They do not seek credit for their own contributions
Some more points can lengthen the list above. I think these are some of the most essential points I look for in a team.
It is possible to transform a group of people working together into a team that create magic. To make this happen, we need to ensure that each individual gets the skills needed to work in a team and identify herself with the common goals and objectives. Easy? No, teamwork is an individual skill used with a collaborative mindset.