If you have ever played any team sport then you will be fully aware of the benefits of teamwork. Teamwork is an essential component

Teamwork to make the dream work

of any-one’s success whether it be on the playing field, in business or in relationships. It really does take team work to make the dream work. When working with a team you always have someone on your side, you have other strengths you can use and weaknesses you can overcome and your commitment levels will be much higher as you have someone else relying on you.

Let’s first define teamwork. YourDictionary defines teamwork as the actions of individuals, brought together for a common purpose or goal, which subordinate the needs of the individual to the needs of the group. In essence, each person on the team puts aside his or her individual needs to work towards the larger group objective. The interactions among the members and the work they complete is called teamwork.

Here lies the power and value of teamwork and is where the saying “There is no ‘i’ in team” comes from. There’s real power in having  a unified team working towards a common goal or purpose. Whenever we set out to achieve anything in life there are always going to be wins, losses and moments when you feel the hurdles are just too great and you just can’t go on anymore, . If you are working on your own, your more likely to quit. It’s just too easy to do so. When you win, there’s no one to share in your triumph and there’s no one there to encourage you and pick you up through your losses. The losses are easier and the victories are sweeter when you work as a team.

The importance of teamwork also lies in the ability to mastermind with others. Napoleon Hill talks about how this is the most important factor of success:

The  cooperative alliance between 3 or more people working for the attainment of a definite purpose has been the basis for nearly every great fortune made.

Everyone has their own particular strengths and weaknesses and their particular way of viewing and creating. Relying on just yourself to foster your growth and creativity is really going to limit your success. Jean Paul Getty says

I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.

When you work as part of a team there will always be someone you can rely on who has strengths in areas where you have a big weakness. You will also be able to overpower someone else’s weakness with your strength. You will therefore always have a strong powerful team working together to attain your common goal or purpose, plugging up all the weak holes. On Team Makepeace, Craig is the details person, whereas I am the big picture person. What a great team we make then. A big picture person can’t put the details together to make it happen. Craig is great at doing this. Each of our strengths override the other’s weakness.

Working as part of a team forces you to bring a higher level of commitment to what you are doing. You have to because the team’s success is dependent on you showing up and what you bring to the common purpose. Craig played professional rugby for several years. If he didn’t show up for training he would be on the bench for the game as he couldn’t benefit the team. He wouldn’t know the plays they had practiced and would have missed building the essential team unity. Even though his individual skills brought incredible value to the team, these still remained subordinate to the needs of the team.  There is no ‘i’ in team. You have a part to play in the eventual success of the team’s goal. If you don’t show up or do your part you let down the team.

Craig and I understand the value, importance and benefits of teamwork having played sport for many years.  ‘It takes teamwork to make the dream work’ has always been the motto of our marriage. And that is why our marriage is so happy and successful; we are a unified team, working toward the same goal. We know how to work as a team and our results have been exceptional because of it. Team Makepeace is building our own global team of successful entrepreneurs. On our team you will always have someone to encourage and motivate you, someone to mastermind with and someone to hold you accountable to the achievement of your goals. Our success is dependent on yours and yours is dependent on ours. It really does take teamwork to make the dream work.