Workplace Skills: Teamwork

Teamwork is an essential part of workplace success!Follow each step. Don't move on before completing a step. Employers rate the ability to work as a team as one of the most important skills an employee must have. From the quotes below, choose which one you like the best. Don't focus on who said it. Focus instead on it's meaning. Copy the quote into the answer box and write about why you chose that quote. What does it mean?“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” - Author Unknown“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” - Michael Jordan (former American basketball player, businessman and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats)“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” - Oprah Winfrey (American television host, actress, producer, and philanthropist)“Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story.” - Casey Stengel (baseball hall of famer)“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” - Henry Ford (pioneer of the assembly-line production method) Inventory of your Team Work Skills Part of becoming a functional member of a team is learning to understand what you bring to the group and what you might need from others.On the pages below, click on each dot and type in "not so confident", "sort of confident", or "confident"This inventory will help you determine which skills you need to work on the most. Inventory of Skills Reflection... I am most proud of my ability to: Inventory of Skills Reflection... I want to improve my ability to: Inventory of Skills Reflection... I will reach out to some of these people for guidance: Look at the picture of the shapes. Which one appeals to you the most? Read the section that goes with the shape you chose. Then answer the question: Does your choice match you? Do you think people can belong to more than one shape? If you are a SQUARE: You are an organized, logical, and hardworking person who likes structure and rules. But sometimes you have trouble making decisions because you always want more information. You feel most comfortable in a stable environment with clear directions on what to do. You tend to like things that are regular and orderly. You will work on a task until it is finished, no matter what. How to spot a square: They appear to move “straight,” use precise or specific gestures, love routine, and are very concerned with detail. They are also very neat in their appearance and their personal workspace. They do a lot of planning and are always prompt.If you are a RECTANGLE: You are a courageous (brave), exciting, and inquisitive explorer who always searches for ways to grow and change. You enjoy trying things you’ve never done before and love asking questions that have never been asked. You like structure, and will often be the person to be sure things are done the proper way, taking all rules and regulations into consideration. When you are given a task you will start organizing it to be sure it can be done in the most systematic way. How to spot a rectangle: These people often have “fleeting eyes and flushed faces.” They also tend to giggle and they like variety. For example, they’ll come into work early or late — but not on time. And those who have offices tend to be disorganized with a mishmash of furniture.If you are a TRIANGLE: You are a born leader who’s competitive, confident, and can make decisions. You also like recognition. You are goal oriented and enjoy planning something out and then doing it (you are motivated by the accomplishment). You will tend to look at big long-term issues, but might forget the details. When given a task you set a goal and work on a plan for it. American business has traditionally been run by triangles and, although usually men, more women are taking those roles today. How to spot a triangle: They have powerful voices, love to tell jokes, and they play as hard as they work. They also tend to be stylish dressers.If you are a CIRCLE: You are social and communicative. There are no hard edges about you. You handle things by talking about them and smoothing things out with everybody. Communication is your first priority. When given a task, you will want to talk about it. You are a “people person,” with lots of sympathy and consideration for others. You listen and communicate well and are very perceptive about other people’s feelings. You like harmony and hate making unpopular decisions. How to spot a circle: They are friendly, nurturing, persuasive, and generous. They tend to be relaxed and smile a lot. They’re talkative, but have a mellow voice. They also have a full laugh and like to touch others on the shoulder and arm.If you are a SQUIGGLE: You are “off-the-wall” and creative. You like doing new and different things most of the time and get bored with regularity. When given a task, you will come up with bright ideas about to do it. But you don’t think in a deliberate pattern from A to B to C. Instead, you tend to jump around in your mind, going from A to M to X. How to spot a squiggle: They can be “flashy,” dramatic, and extremely creative – and they don’t like highly structured environments. Both men and women squiggles tend to be funny and very expressive. They also have great intuition. Most performers and writers are squiggles. Why do you think it is important to have all different shapes working on the same team?