Why Teamwork Is Very Important

If you bring a stick of broom, you can easily break it into multiple pieces right? But why you think that you cannot easily break a bunch of brooms? Obviously because of the power of teamwork. No matter the kind of individual ability you have, it cannot be compared to the power of many people combining their efforts together. No doubt, you can go very fast if you decide to go alone but the limitation here is, you may not be able to go far. To go far, you have to leverage on the power of team.

_{Image from Pixabay}

If you have been observant, you would have noticed that, most times, in a football match, it is not the side that has the most talented individual players that win the league but the side that combines their efforts to form a good team. When you work as a team, each person's efforts will be amplified and success will be attained quicker than when you work individually. No wonder this Southeastern Nigeria (Igbo) proverb his it that:

When washing the hand, the right hand has to team up with the left hand for both to be cleaned

I believe this is the reason many people have believed that the true meaning of TEAM is:

T - Together
E - Everyone
A - Achieves
M - More

There is no doubt that everyone has their own weaknesses but it does not overrule the fact that there are unique strengths in everyone. When the strengths of everyone are pulled together, it will overshadow their inherent weaknesses and they will pull a formidable team.

In a team, no one should be considered as being inconsequential or having the least function. It may be the person that you overlook that may be the pivot of the team. Take for instance: in a football team, if the goalkeeper is overlooked, he may become the bane of the team by letting in goals. Of course, no matter how good a striker is, he cannot function also as a goalkeeper.

In the human body for example, if a seemingly small organ ceases to function well, you will understand the need of every organ working together as a team. In order for voids or gaps not to be created, you have to understand that everyone in the team matters and as such, should be treated well.

_{Image from Pixabay}

A fews months back, I was privilege to be among a particular choral group. When I joined the group, I noticed that the leader always showed favouritism to some people - those that she believes they have unique singing abilities while leaving others uncelebrated. Even when duties are shared, she would favour capability over availability. I tried explaining to her that everyone matters and should be given a fair chance of participation but she did not see reasons with me.

Well, a day came when all her favourites were unavailably absent due to some reasons, and the choral group had a presentation to make. She had to fall back on those that were considered as "bench warmers" and beyond her imagination, they did well. This proved to her that teamwork is not about each person having an extremely excellent ability but everyone working together to form a single and complete whole. This brought to mind the quote a friend once made which sums up what teamwork is all about.

When small forces are put together and channelled rightly, they can move a thousand pounds.

Thanks for reading