Learning Teamwork From Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie knew the value of his team

The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people. The productivity of that capital depends on how effectively people share their competence with those who can use it.

- Andrew Carnegie

Wow … Carnegie really understood the concept of learning teamwork well, didn’t he? The effectiveness of your employees can be greatly enhanced if everyone is attuned to individual roles, have a trained back-up, and is focused and motivated to share knowledge and operate as a team.

So how do you focus and motivate a group of individuals to share their knowledge and operate as a team?

Consider these suggestions:

Improve the listening skills of employees… to better understand the perspectives of all team members

Create trust … your team must have faith in team goals and what you ask them to do. Be honest with each other at all times. Make sure everyone knows holding back information will be detrimental to the team.

Openly share ideas and be able to be influenced by other competing ideas.

Be able to disagree … and then reconcile the conflict

Ensure all learn and respond … to important new discoveries

Support risk-taking and change … it is ok to fail

Celebrate even the small collaborative wins

Create an environment where it is ok … to ask for help

Remember that teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success. How can it not be critical for your business?