Thursday, October 11, 2018 by Mary Lynne Bartlett
Hi everyone, it's David! In my 4th year of University, after thinking that I had absorbed as much information as humanly possible, I discovered that I knew nothing about the library. I was oblivious to the abundance of services they provided and to the resources that were available. The opportunity to discover more about this unknown world presented itself when I met a team of Library Ambassadors. Their warm smiles welcomed me as they introduced me to the microcosm that is the library. Intrigued to learn more, I decided to become a Library Ambassador myself to advocate for these services, to hand out excessive amounts of information pamphlets and to learn about skills such as teamwork (great transition, I know).
Teamwork is defined as “cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause”, or more simply put: “work done with a team”1. This definition also encompasses the implicit facets of teamwork such as group dynamics and team cohesiveness. Although teamwork can be limited to work done as a team, it is important to understand that the efficiency of the team can be improved as well. By developing the bonds and understanding among the members of the team, future interactions when working toward a goal can be more efficient. This could be analogous to gears within a machine – while the machine functions well normally, adding some oil, symbolizing team cohesion, can improve its functionality.
Some other aspects of teamwork to consider are as follows:
- Individual Ability
- Work Distribution
- Broader Views
Individual Ability
In a team, we have individuals and while the goal is to act fluidly, we must recognize the abilities of each individual. Leveraging different people’s abilities appropriately in different scenarios can be tantamount to being successful as a team. By knowing everyone’s strengths, you can approach situations and resolve problems effectively.
Work Distribution
In terms of projects that have a large workload, divvying up the work can reduce the stress for each person while allowing for the project to be completed much quicker.
Broader Views
Having a variety of perspectives can play an integral role in resolving a problem or in devising an approach to a situation. An amazing thing about working with others is that you are presented with the opportunity to learn from them. Sharing experiences and knowledge can not only cultivate the success of the project but also the growth of the individual.
The main takeaway being that as a team, we function cohesively as a whole unit but a unit that consists of different parts with their respective abilities.
-David
Topics:
