Real teamwork is often elusive. Individuals who come together for a project or a single goal may be singularly successful, but the true test is the sustainability of that group effort outside of a common initiative. Real, sustainable teamwork is when the group is genuinely invested in the success of each other.
Creating an environment of teamwork does not have to be complicated. One of the best examples of teambuilding came from one of my employees (Beth). We had synergy in an office of approximately 20 people, from five (or so) different teams but it was often specific to alignment and job function.
What began as an informal Friday lunch with a few co-workers evolved into a regularly scheduled lunch. Beth made a concerted effort to encourage everyone to join in. Every Friday, we picked up lunch (everyone paid for their own meal) and we ate lunch together in the conference room. Attendance was not mandatory, but we all looked forward to it. We talked about life, children, family, work and we laughed and joked. Thanks to Beth, levels of engagement, productivity, collaboration, and personal investment deepened. As a leader, the bright ideas are not always yours, it is what you do with them that counts.
Sustainable teamwork may start from a common cause. One of my most cherished experiences came from my peers coming together to drive specific initiatives for our employees. As we worked together, we learned the key strengths of each person and we leveraged those strengths to benefit our group and individual goals. We became each other’s trusted advisors, coaches, resources and champions. We wanted each team member to succeed. People are happiest and more energetic when their “best self” is appreciated, acknowledged and utilized.
Teamwork also happens outside of the office, and doesn’t require scaling mountains or group therapy. It can happen in increments, depending upon the environment you create. I had the pleasure of managing a team that was newly formed, didn’t know each other well and their internal network was thin. For our first meeting, we met in the hometown of one of my employees. One of my goals was to meet a relaxed setting to increase the camaraderie and teamwork.
In our scheduled agenda, I included a partial day of R&R. Our host took us boating in a nearby lake and we had the chance to get away and have some fun. Between the business agenda and the R&R, the team learned more about each other, professionally and personally. Our team pulled together, leveraging their strengths to benefit the group and each other.
Sustainable teamwork starts by removing the notion that reliance on others is a weakness. It also means that the “I” interjected into the team may be you—so know when to defer. Know your team, leverage their strengths and create an environment that encourages collaboration, respect and mutual trust. And dare I say it? Work can be fun. So find time to have fun and laugh—those moments create bonds that can be more useful than a company weekend in the wilderness.
