Few people escape teamwork. This highlights the importance of learning to cooperate. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds to the same extent, and the consequences of these difficulties are numerous and disabling.

Let's admit it's not always simple. Moreover, it should be emphasized that teamwork is not exactly synonymous with group work.

The difference lies in the level of interdependence of individuals: teamwork requires a particularly high level of trust, respect, and a sense of individual and collective responsibility.

• Create a «team contract» related to trust and reliability. The overall effectiveness of a group relies on its ability to coordinate the contributions of its members. You can contribute by proposing common standards (a kind of «contract») regarding responsibility, reliability, and mutual trust. Each person must know how to behave and communicate, especially when they need help to perform a task on which the team depends.
• Be open and encourage diversity. Teamwork is above all a source of enrichment, thanks to the sharing of skills and the exchange of ideas it allows. Inclusive teams go even further by adopting a positive approach to diversity. They tactfully welcome different points of view, making constructive (not destructive) remarks. This allows them to make the most of their members' contributions.
• Create opportunities to do real common work. Don't settle for simple team meetings. Dare to organize slightly more fun, more meaningful sessions, to engage everyone in the pursuit of common goals. Also consider work sharing and real-life observation to strengthen team reliability.
• Offer spontaneous help to your colleagues. Everyone needs a little help from time to time. A team's reliability can be measured by its members' willingness to help each other. These are often small things: proofreading an important report before your office neighbor sends it to the appropriate person, giving up your coffee break to help out another colleague…

• Becoming too dependent, hyper-cohesive. When personal initiatives must systematically be validated by the entire group before being implemented, it's no surprise if everything moves slowly. Many projects risk being blocked at various levels. Don't try to solve all problems collectively; sometimes, an individual intervention is enough!
• Blaming others when they don't keep their promises. Instead, have empathy. No one is immune to a bad day – so, put yourself in the other person's shoes. Remember that people sometimes face personal or family difficulties. Try to understand what they feel, why they acted in such a way, and react accordingly.
• Criticize people behind their backs. Be sincere. If something is wrong, or if you disagree, say it either to the team or to the person concerned, depending on the situation. Honesty and frankness are essential for good human relations.
• Announce team successes using the first person singular, instead of starting with «we». It is not fair to take credit for a collective success. The rule should be to recognize its main contributors and to compliment the people who actually did the work. All managers should be invited to share the stage.
• Let extroverted people dominate the team. It is often said that communication is as much about listening as it is about speaking. Yet, in most teams, there are people who talk too much and others not enough – but above all, there are people who don't listen enough. It's easy to fall into this trap. I have often witnessed the following scene: a group discusses a problem, the most discreet person understands and begins to explain to others that they know the solution, but because they are naturally reserved, or new, they are not allowed to finish. Generally, they resign themselves and the team eventually finds the answer. Except that they could have discovered it much earlier, if they had been able to listen or if the shy person had spoken with more confidence.