The Art of Teamwork: Cultivating Trust, Communication, and Collaboration

If you’re a manager, don’t read this! (or rather do!)

Working in a team is a thankless task.

There are loads of training courses available for managers, but no one ever tells you how to be a team member.

After all, nothing gets done unless the team cooperates with the manager. Even if your boss has a PhD in management, unless you and your colleagues do your job, the work won’t get done – customers will be annoyed, deadlines missed, and targets not hit.

So,?this is a very short guide to how be an effective team member in a global organization.

Three simple things each one of us can do to build better teams from the bottom up.?

1.?Communicate well

I did an MA about 10 years ago as a mature student.

One of the things that surprised me about my much younger, mostly recent graduate peers, was how badly they presented.

And you don’t just need to look at graduates.

• Too many emails, too few emails.
• Information too late or not at all.
• Ambiguous instructions
• Confusing reports…

Communication breakdown is the enemy of productivity.

The greatest trait of an ideal team worker is culturally intelligent communication .

Know your audience and give them what they?need when?they need it and nothing more. ?

Remember the 5Cs of communication:

??Clear

??Concise

??Correct

??Complete

??Considerate

2.?Don’t be an island

John Donne ’s famous quote:

“No [hu]man is an island entire of itself; every [hu]man is a piece of the continent…If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less…”

Recognize that you are a functional part of a?team,?and the team is less without you.

The recognition is not arrogant, but it is a challenge to you.

Don’t wait to be asked to contribute your value but give it proactively and willingly.?

BUT also recognize that as you are not an island, the rest of the team is also ‘pieces of the continent’ and that you need them as well.

Look for and treasure the individual value they bring.

It’s not just up to the boss to recognize success – if you are authentic, a teammate’s praise is often just as important.

The 6Cs of collaboration:

??Cooperation – we work better together

??Convergence – we’re stronger pulling in the same direction

??Coordination – organizing your work collectively keeps things moving

??Capability – pooling out talents increases performance and outputs

??Communication – listening and asking economizes effort and reduces frustration

??Cultural intelligence – leveraging the power of difference

3.?Earn trust

The single most important quality needed to earn trust is a reputation for being trustworthy.

Give your word and keep it.

Show that other people’s time and deadlines matter to you. Demand more from yourself and be forgiving to others.

If you trust others, they will trust you.?

Where there’s trust there’s room to grow and exceed expectations. Productivity is up, belonging and inclusion are up,?and job satisfaction is up.?

And that leads to better opportunities, promotions and growth.

The 4Cs of trust:

??Communication (again!)

??Consistency

??Competence

??Credibility

In a world full of scaremongering about AI, the greatest advantage a human has is that they are human.

We can change and we can work collaboratively because we all have unique ‘databases’ in our brains that can’t be reproduced.?

Communicating well, collaborating effectively and earning trust will emphasize that advantage and ensure you are valued at work and gain satisfaction from your contributions.

Ready to transform your teamwork?

Start implementing these strategies today!

Share this article with your colleagues and discuss how you can enhance communication, collaboration, and trust within your team.

Remember, the power of effective teamwork lies in each individual’s commitment to making a positive impact.

Let’s build stronger, more cohesive teams together!

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I'm Matthew MacLachlan .

I help build culturally diverse and inclusive organizations.

DM me to talk Cultural Intelligence. ??