Partnering and Teamwork

I wrote on this topic a few years back and maybe it has relevance here. The underlying concept to partnering and teamwork is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Now this concept is very very important.

When that principle no longer applies, the partnership dissolves, the teamwork breaks down, the business fails over time or will need to downsize and get rid of the deadwood to survive and thrive.

We come into partnership to do more than we can do as individual entities. We form teams because each team member brings an expertise the other do not possess to undertake a task that requires certain key competencies to produce the results. And each team member must carry their individual tasks effectively and efficiently.

A little like a football team or a team event in chess.

If on the other hand we find 10 people doing the task 2 can handle better by coordinating well, then that team does not deserve to exist. Reality will take care of it. If a partnership creates more problems than the value of the collaboration, that partnership becomes a liability. These are the hard facts.