Cooperation and Teamwork

Getting cooperation from your assistants and subordinates and getting your team working together hand in hand is critical if you want to reach your organization's goal and mission.

If stiff competition among employees to outdo one another is present, you won't get them to cooperate and work together. Each one will have a tendency to become selfish for personal gains.

This will lead to lack of trust among them and the unwillingness to give and take and to help one another. Unless you take some constructive measures and correct the problem, your goal of seeing your people cooperating is unlikely to happen.

"No employer today is independent of those about him. He cannot succeed alone, no matter how great his ability or capital. Business today is more than ever a question of cooperation. - Orison Swett Marden

How to Gain Cooperation and Promote Teamwork

Analyze.

You need to take things apart. Pay attention to what is going on and observe how everyone is behaving. Examine your own approach. What kind or support, reward or rules do you provide? Are your strategies encouraging unity among them? Do you undermine anyone who does not perform in the presence of others?

Become the model of change.

The people you work with observe your actions and attitudes and they usually follow your example. Honestly analyze your style of leadership and see if you have in any way contributed to the lack of teamwork. If you do find something that you need to correct, make the shift and become a model of change.

Redefine the organization's goal and mission.

Maybe the people in your organization have a vague picture of the desired goal. If they only see the future of the company without any benefits for them, they will not give their full participation. Help them open their minds to see that the future of the company depends on the success of them working together as a team.

Get your team's participation.

Plan a program that will benefit everyone and create a common bond. Involve all of them in solving a problem or developing new ideas or concepts through brainstorming. Allow each one to contribute and listen to what they have to say.

Encourage.

Help your team to identify their strengths and see their potentials. Be supportive and encourage them to work on their personal growths and acquire self mastery. You may have to face some resistance initially from some but give them a chance to get familiar. If you continue to encourage trust, compassion and passion among them, you will find that soon everyone will become cooperative and respect one another.