Going on to be described as the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan was instrumental in popularising the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. He became a true team player and the game was all the better for it.
Team work is not easy; it takes hard work to get a team functioning well. It’s a joint action by two or more people, in which each person contributes with different skills and expresses his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group in order to achieve common goals.
There are some specific strategies I utilise to help individuals get the most out of team work and all contribute to the success of the team:
- Goals – Make sure the goals of the team are clearly communicated rather than assuming the team members know the desired outcome. Use strategic plans to ensure everyone is travelling in the right direction.
- Change – A team’s environment is constantly changing and evolving. Embrace it. You need to be flexible to adapt to different situations.
- Communicate well – 55% of what you are saying comes from body language, 38% comes from sound and the tone of your voice and 7% is actually only based on the content of what you are saying. Interesting, huh?
- Meetings – Get more out of meetings by taking notes and really listening to what your team members are contributing in discussion.
- Leader and follower – Learn to be a leader and a follower; as you move from team to team, your role will change. Leaders who can’t follow, and followers who are unable to lead, will have limited value in teams.
- Teammates – You can’t do it better on your own! While individuals have different strengths and styles, you must trust other team members to fulfill their functions adequately. This trust will build strong relationships and stronger teams.
