Teamwork and Jigsaw puzzles

All of us talk of team work. Sports thrive on teams. Every business wants to develop winning teams. Every president or prime minister brings his own team. What is there in teams? A team is needed because a lone person can not handle all the work. So one gathers different experts, creates a team, sits back and hopes that the team will bring in great results in a short time. But many times, the team proves to be a dismal failure. Why?

Let us talk of human psychology for a moment. Ego, that is the first to kill the team spirit. Why should I work under him/her? Why should I give in and accept what you say. What I say is correct and all of you are out of your senses! Ego. This is the first danger in a good team. You must have played with jigsaw puzzles. Unless, every piece fits in, you will never get the whole picture.

Whether the piece is small or big, whether it looks good or bad, it has its place in the picture and you must fit that ugly looking small piece to get the picture right. Are you getting it? One of the team members may be the sharpest and smartest person going around, but unless he/she gets support from other members for whom he/she has no respect, the team will not achieve results. Respect for individuals is the most essential part of a good team. Trying to take care of each other's weaknesses and complementing them with your strengths will bring a balance. Appreciating the smallest achievement and ignoring mistakes will make team happy gathering.

But the first need for a good team is to work towards a common goal. The goal that excites ever member. A goal that everyone wants to achieve. A goal that fires their imagination and a goal that can make them ignore the hardship of work. Goals that will make all of them feel great, when achieved. Goals are the first and the most essential part of a team's success. If a team is not motivated to achieve a goal, that team will fail.

A very good method is to send few motivational ecards to fire the imagination and make a person, a great team leader and member.