Teamwork in Business

What do you think of when I say the word “Teamwork”?

Tom Landry, one of the greatest football coaches in history, said “I don’t believe in team motivation. I believe in getting a team prepared so it knows it will have the necessary confidence when it steps on a field and be prepared to play a good game”.

Is that it? I can tell you that it took me a very, very long time to truly understand this word’s true meaning. A very wise man told me in high school that there is no “I” in “Team”. And, being the arrogant and rebellious teenager I was back then, it took me awhile to grasp this concept. That was until I started working in the restaurant business. There, I was taught that teamwork is a crucial part of business. Everyone- from the owner to the dishwasher- needs to be on point and part of the “team”.

It is necessary for colleagues to work well together, trying their best in any circumstance. Teamwork is like a painting, where we take a group of individual skills (let’s call these the brush strokes) and mesh them together (we will call this bonding the colors) to construct a final masterpiece. Of course along the way there are personal conflicts, but with constructive feedback and a little bit of regrouping you will be back on track in no time.

In business, everyone should be an individual who unites with others toward a shared destiny by sharing information and ideas, empowering others and developing trust! There should be a corporate culture based on integrity and innovation. Your office “team”(just like clients) should come first and everyone should treat each other with respect, making it a fun and rewarding work environment.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” –Michael Jordan

About Laura Rowles

Laura authors the blog Your Success is Our Business on MyMCMedia. Laura is the Director of Events & Marketing for the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce - a member-based organization of businesses that have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial and industrial progress in our communities. The area's economic well-being is a result of the caliber of work that is done by the Chamber. The Chamber has a major impact on business, income and future growth of the area. My position at the Chamber - Director of Events & Marketing - affords me the opportunity to plan quality events for our Members and market the Chamber is a variety of avenues. At the GGCC, we typically have around 30 events each year including: breakfasts, lunches, after-five's, ribbon cuttings and special events. The consensus is we have high quality events with good energy. In 2012, we had over 2,040 people visit our events. Most our events are free to Members so securing sponsorships for all events. Additionally, I am responsible for planning networking, overseeing the budget and marketing of all events in order to make them successful. Lastly, I coordinate all marketing and communication efforts of the GGCC including weekly email blasts, its quarterly newsletter, all social media platforms, media relations and community outreach.

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