You've likely heard the saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” And while Aristotle was not referring to teamwork, the statement expresses the main goal of building a great team.

A team can achieve far more than any individual working alone. That's obvious. But through teamwork, a team should be able to achieve far more than all of the individual members working alone.

Most of us have been on teams where we wouldn't say that is always the case. 

It takes more than one brilliant mind to achieve a goal, especially as the issues we're trying to solve become more complex, no single person has all of the information, context, and skills needed. It takes a team for great ideas to come to life.

Why is being part of a team not always fulfilling?

You can’t simply put a group of people into a room and expect miracles to happen. Utilizing the diverse talents and perspectives of team members, having a clear shared objective, and effective collaboration all help give a team the power to grow and succeed.

Done right, working together and being part of a team drives success for the individual and the company. When a team grows and learns, so does the company's ability to be agile and create value for customers.

Each team member's skills and abilities should grow faster as well. 

That's the power of great teamwork.

Let’s take a look at the importance of teams and how to make teamwork work in the workplace.