Teamwork

Teamwork is an important part of workplace success. Teamwork means working together with others to complete a task or goal. Two heads are usually better than one! When you work on a team you share ideas, assign roles, and complete work collaboratively. To be a good team member you must be able to give and receive information and instructions for your assignment. When you work with others, it is important to respect their opinions even if you do not always agree with them. In today’s job market, employers rate teamwork as one of the most important skills they are looking for when they hire new employees.

Explore Lessons

Be a Leader
Cooperate with Others
Give and Receive Feedback

Practice

Have you ever been a player on a baseball team? If so, what did winning the game require of you and your other team members? Did every team member play the same position on the field? Were some players better at batting the ball while others were better at catching the ball? Just like in sports, working together as a team can allow each person to use his or her unique strengths and abilities to contribute to a work task or project.

Read the quote below and consider the following questions. Then, with a partner, compare and discuss your answers.

Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.
– unknown author

1. What do you think this quote means?

2. Does teamwork always lead to a positive result? If not, why not?

3. Describe a time that you worked on a team. What did you like about the experience? What did you find difficult?

Explore for more

Teamwork is very important in the construction industry. Many different employees must work together to complete a project. Construction laborers work with their hands. Some of their tasks include digging holes, ditches, and trenches; mixing concrete; painting and plastering; and installing drywall. Laborers help to build and maintain buildings, roads, and highways. They also set up and clean up work sites. Construction laborers work in a variety of settings. To learn more about this job and others in the construction industry visit http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Laborer/Hourly_Rate.