What My First Job Taught Me About Teams (And Why Yours Should Be Like This Too)

One of my first jobs was basically like being part of a quirky little family. There were laughs, disagreements, playful jabs, and genuine care for one another—all in a day’s work. If that doesn’t sound like your team… we need to talk.

Here are five things that made us strong (and might just help your team too):

1. Crystal-Clear Clarity We knew exactly what our jobs were and how we contributed to the bigger picture. No confusion. No second-guessing. We each owned our roles in getting the team to the goal.
2. No ‘Not My Job’ Attitude Sure, we had specific roles, but if something needed to get done, we did it. “That’s not my job” wasn’t even in our vocabulary.
3. We Actually Knew Each Other We weren’t just colleagues, we were humans. We ate lunch together, talked about families, shared stories about our lives. It wasn’t a distraction—it was part of the glue that held us together.
4. Self-Care Was Non-Negotiable When someone needed a break, we covered for them—no questions asked. Burnout creeping in? Go for a walk, take an extended lunch. We had each other’s backs because a rested team is a better team.
5. We Celebrated Growth When one of us moved on to something bigger, we threw a party! There was no resentment—just pure joy for someone chasing their next big thing.

Being a team isn’t just about showing up and doing your own job. It’s about showing up for each other. Trust, support, fun, and compassion make all the difference—and they make work a whole lot more enjoyable.

Does your team have that spark? If not, it might be time to create it.

#teamwork #workculture #leadership #teambuilding #stongteams #creatingclarity #gotCLARATY

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