Creating Teamwork in the Workplace

Why is there such a lack of teamwork in the workplace in the majority of most businesses?

In many situations we take for granted that work and fun cannot coexist. Most executives never existed in a workplace where teamwork was the rule rather than the exception.

People fear moving out of their comfort zone into a cooperative workplace and start building teamwork.

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

• People often value security over happiness in their workplace: They can 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:  a stable, non-changing workplace logically results in security.

But teamwork brings joy to the organization or team that accepts it, and develops a system that infuses the organization with it.

Teamwork is fundamental to human nature.

Professors lecture about in business courses, Ministers preach about at church, and 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 do we experience such a fundamental chasm between our work and our home - between our career and our happiness?

Fact: Humans are intelligent. We can reason, make decisions, act upon them, and deal with the consequences. Why do you think we encounter a profound lack of teamwork in the workplace?

Especially when we see the clear benefits of working together, what holds us back?

Fear Undermines Teamwork in the Workplace

"We have met the enemy and he is us." --Pogo

Most business organizations operate in a manner that fundamentally conflicts with human nature. Sure we are all individuals, but we all share certain important characteristics.

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

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

In many situations our vision of a teamwork is just a pipe dream.

How To Protect the Bottom Line and the Individual

We protect the bottom line by developing 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.

Use the same core characteristics and principles that build great organizations and integrate these into building teamwork in the workplace, regardless of your team's size.

People want and revel in responsibility when given to them with trust.  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?"  A person's inability to control the outcome of a certain situation causes debilitating stress. Hopelessness is real stress.

To build an environment of workplace teamwork, you must "let go and let God" as the old saying goes. Give your team the skills to cope and perform in difficult situations. Provide confidence that they have your trust to succeed.

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 confident in their unique talents and abilities. They want to feel trusted with important tasks and situations, and to be responsible for the outcome.

That is the core of building teamwork in the workplace.