The Secret to Teamwork

What is the secret to building a team that works well together? Is it luck? Is it chemistry?

The military is the best at teaching and demanding true teamwork. During basic training, I was put in the pugil stick combat ring with a young lady who was at least 3 inches taller than I was and probably 20 pounds heavier (pugil sticks look like huge Q-tips with padded ends). Her and I had been having problems getting along so the drill sergeants wanted us to "work out our differences" in the ring. Before I knew what hit me, she had knocked me down on the ground...hard. I sat there stunned and dazed and then I got mad. Like Incredible Hulk mad. It was her turn to taste the dirt and she got a good taste after I knocked her out. I was thrilled because I got my revenge on her. But that was just the beginning.

That night, her and I were stuck having to dig a foxhole and put up a pup tent together. We both had attitudes and we refused to work together to get the tent set up properly. Guess what kind of weather we had that night? It rained. Not just a light misting of rain, but like buckets of water pouring down, similar to a monsoon kind of rain. Neither one of us slept that night and we were soaking wet and cold. Night #2 rolled around and we were paired up again. Neither one of us wanted to work against the other any more. We decided to work together so that we could get the tent set up properly and get some sleep. We even talked a little bit and I discovered that we both were from the Midwest and we both played basketball in high school. I stood guard while she slept a few hours and then she stood guard while I slept.

This is what I learned about teamwork through that experience:

1. Teamwork doesn't require everyone to like each other but it does require everyone to respect one another.
2. More can be accomplished by working together than by working against each other.
3. Teammates stand guard for one another. I've got your back and you've got mine. Period.

Leaders who set the example for true teamwork, create an environment where teammates respect one another, work together and protect each other.