Week 4

If you were asked to define teamwork what would you say and where would you start? 

In this article we will look at some of the common understandings of teamwork, but we will also stress that teamwork is something perhaps best defined for yourself with your team and in your organization.

That's because when you define teamwork for yourself it's more likely to become a shared definition and one that fits your context and to which you are all committed. 

Teamwork is defined as: "co-operation between those who are working on a task." Commonly teamwork is understood as co-operation and willingness to work together.

I define teamwork being clarifying what it isn't and thinking about the distinction between teams and teamwork. In our view a team is in place when individual strengths and skills are combined with teamwork in pursuing a common direction or cause to produce meaningful results for the team members and the organization. A team combines individual strengths with a shared commitment to performance; it's not just about getting on well together.

Teamwork is absolutely necessary, in fact it is fundamental to a team, but teamwork is not sufficient of it self for a group of people to be called a team. Only when teamwork is joined with the skills and strengths of individual team members with shared goals and a focus on collective performance do you start to see the benefits of a team at work.
Why does this matter? Well language can sometimes be confusing and teamwork is perhaps more helpfully understood as only being a part of what is needed to having effective teams.

Based on my understanding of teams and teamwork, whilst you can't have a team without teamwork, you can have teamwork without being a team!

What is teamwork? Teamwork can be defined as the ability to work cooperatively with others and work together as opposed to separately or competitively to achieve a common goal. Teamwork is used in all aspects of life. Analyze any situation or task involving more than one person: in almost all cases, the outcome can only be positive if a sufficient amount of teamwork is used.

For example, a marriage will only work if both partners put in the effort. A sports team will not be successful unless the team works together as a unit. A business or cooperation will not survive unless all members work as one team. Whether or not each individual realizes it, they are putting complete trust in the other members of their “team” to work together and achieve one common goal.