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I recently described some benefits I receive from teamwork with my colleagues. Here we are at a recent New Year’s Eve — a great night for teamwork. Thanks for the wonderful photos, Joy.
You might wonder which is better for a band — teamwork or working alone?
That’s the wrong question. We’re always using both.
Teamwork better suits some kinds of projects, and working alone better suits others. Teambuilding programs can help us learn to combine both tactics.
Instead, we should be asking about WHEN teamwork is better than working alone. And vice versa.
The answer is far from clear. We sometimes hear that “two heads are better than one”, and then a minute later we can hear that “too many cooks spoil the broth”.
Take creativity for example. Some evidence suggests a person is more creative working alone. Other evidence suggests he’s more creative in the midst of teamwork with a group.
Suppose you’re planning music for your wedding or your next party. Is it better to do your planning by yourself or with the help of a few friends and experts?
Usually teamwork is a joint effort of solitary experts working together, then working alone, then together again. Over and over. Back and forth.
Which do you prefer — being a solitary expert or a brainstorming committee member? Which is better — Working alone or in teamwork with colleagues?
This is a trick question. My favorite Tip: You better become skilled at using both.
Media headlines favor stories about creative individuals. We hear about creative people all the time but relative little about creative teamwork.
For every project we all tackle, creativity is sometimes important. Sometimes not. You don’t want a creative dancer in a chorus line, but you might like a creative touch in designing your landscaping.
A creative soloist can spark the performance of a jazz band, but all the musicians playing together in a tight ensemble can achieve amazingly powerful music.
Rules are rules. You might not like a creative captain steering your cruise ship, or piloting your airplane. Unless of course, an emergency comes up, and for example you and your colleagues might need to land your aircraft in the Hudson River.
Then all bets are off, and the highest priority goes to skillfully and quickly creating a strategy for landing. But watch out for any nearby cruise ships.
Few of us will ever face such an emergency, but I think all of us constantly need to balance stints of working alone and stints of teamwork.
How about you? Tell me: How well do you balance teamwork with working alone? Would you recommend a teambuilding program?
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I run my tutoring agency independently, but have reached out to colleagues in order to work together on new education and parenting projects. It’s great to support each other and share ideas.
I’ve always preferred to work on my own. The worst times in school were when group projects were assigned. I ended up having to do work for others because I didn’t want their slacking to pull down my grade. I am a perfectionist, I like things done certain ways. I’d rather take the time to do it right than additional time to fix things. I even had my friends help me make a bunch of hair clips before a show. I figured they both make beautiful jewelry, both pay attention to detail. But after hours of them working on clips, there was no way I could sell them. They weren’t the quality that my name represented and didn’t justify the costs I place on them. All of those materials are either in a bin to be “fixed” or I sold at cost because there was nothing I could do with them. I am willing to work in partnerships, but only when I can choose who I am working with.
I tend to be autonomous yet I instinctively know the value of teamwork. I enjoy working alone and I am also spurred on creatively within a group setting. So, I think that my creative style vacillates, as I develop ideas myself, become further inspired from the ideas and perspective of others, and then I tend to complete the project myself.
I love the feeling of ‘bringing it home’ as a team. I work independently now, but I was very happy being part of big companies.
I love your stance that we need to become skilled at both team work and independence. I find myself flowing back and forth pretty easily between the two, especially as an actor. I am part of a theater ensemble that depends on really “getting” give and take, and I also have a solo performance that comes completely through me. On the other hand, I recently performed with 2 other women doing solo pieces, so I got to have the best of both worlds!
Being an artist means I am primarily on a solo gig most of the time. However I love brainstorming with others and I know particularly in the business aspects of my art business, teamwork would be a great help. I go shooting pictures with other artists on occasion and I find that my work evolves because of ideas and energy of the other artist and so I agree with you that both are necessary.
I tend to work alone. There is a place for teamwork and I’m willing to participate in it but I tend then to want to take over and thus, end of working alone. So has been my circle of life.
I’m big on collaboration or teamwork as you have called it. And I do work alone a lot. So yes, one needs to get good at both. I’m very much an extravert so I love working in partnership with others.
Susan Berland
A Picture’s Worth
http://susan-berland.com
I love how music teaches us in so many ways! Recently I had the pleasure of talking to an orchestral conductor about forming teams, just as you choose who to have play in your band or sing with your choir. I’m bookmarking this post from you too; and will share on one of my FB pages! As I am currently creating a new company with global reach, I am forming teams and partnerships — and am keenly aware that I need people who bring things to our project that truly serve the big vision. It’s not just about choosing people I like to play with, right? I’m forming a top performing, creative, productive “band!”
My view of what teamwork looks like now as a business owner is a bit different than during the 20 years I spent at a Fortune 50 company. But, just like you noted, you really do need both skills. To focus on developing one to the detriment of the other makes you less prepared for either situation in my opinion. There are skills that can only be truly realized in teamwork or in working alone – but having each of these are part of your overall company toolbag is essential to being able to make each one work better.
Jennifer Peek | Start-Up Business StrategistFind Your New GrooveThe Freedom to Build Your Business Your Way
This is a great conversation Robbie! I enjoy working both ways, with a team and alone but I prefer to work alone. I think it’s just how my personality is.
And the absolute best time to work on a team is when you’re working side by side with people who are professional and equally committed to the project and their responsibilities. If one or more team members drop the ball forcing others to have to do more than anticipated it can ruin the camaraderie (a great benefit of working collaboratively) teamwork can create. It can also ruin the project if others aren’t able to step in and do more.
(BTW you’ve been tagged @ http://theflirtyguide.blogspot.com/2012/01/blog-tag-youre-it.html)
Yes, It’s very good to work in a team. I think teamwork really matters in all field whether its party music,wedding,sports,movie,company etc. So, always work in a team rather than individual. I think work efficiency of a team is more than individual.Team members are the power of one another.
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