In the simplest terms, a team is two or more people who collaborate. Taking this definition to the extreme, that makes me a teammate with the kid I pay to cut my grass. Generalizing teamwork to mere collaboration sets the bar low. Almost anyone can collaborate. You do your part and I’ll do mine and, between us, we’ll get the job done. As a teacher, I’ve witnessed many college projects net mediocre results because students just divvy up the tasks and head off in their own directions. Oh sure, they present a coordinated outcome when the semester comes to an end but the passion of true teamwork has often eluded them by virtue of their collaborative independence. Tasks get completed but synergy is absent. These students usually earn a “B” for their efforts.
I had the good fortune to observe a team of two skilled craftsmen drill a well seeking to tap an underground spring sixty feet below ground. Besides the impressive pinpoint accuracy that defined the outcome of their labor, their work could not have occurred without each other. At numerous moments during their three-hour task, four arms, four legs, and two brains needed to operate simultaneously with the risk of serious injury hanging in the balance. Any lapse in their communication would be costly. When it was all said and done, the two craftsmen acted as one.
Let’s expand the definition of a team. Here are the minimum qualifications;
– An unwavering commitment to interdependence.
– Clear roles and goals.
– Mutual accountability for the outcome.
– Willingness to fail in order to succeed.
– Adaptability to inevitable changing circumstances.
Based on these criteria, is your team really a team?
