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Unpacking the Strength of Teamwork

by | Oct 24, 2023 | Employee Engagement, Integrity, Leadership, Psychological safety, Strengths

group of hands showing teamwork

Teamwork is one of the three character strengths that comprise the Virtue of Justice.

Justice describes strengths that help you connect in community or group-based situations.

What is teamwork?

Teamwork means that in team situations you are committed to contributing to the team’s success. The team could be a work group or a sports team, but it could also refer to your family, marriage, or even a group of friends working on a project together. 

Teamwork extends to being a good citizen of your community or country, and more broadly to a sense of social responsibility for particular groups of people or even all of humanity. In other words, the person high in teamwork applies a certain way of acting in whatever context they consider themselves committed to the good of the group as a whole. 

Most commonly, however, this strength refers to you being a dedicated, reliable, and contributing member to your small group or team. 

Teamwork is closely related to 3 other concepts:

  • Citizenship: responsibility toward one’s community
  • Loyalty: unwavering trust for a group
  • Patriotism: loyalty toward one’s homeland/nation without hostility toward other nations

Why is teamwork of value?

  • Teamwork fosters a sense of connectedness and enhances meaning through shared purpose.
  • Those high in teamwork elicit and experience a higher level of social trust and have a more positive view of others.
  • Teamwork is one of the strengths most associated with sustainable behaviour ie behaviour that aims to protect the social and physical environment. 

A couple of questions to consider

  • What is most gratifying to you about being part of a team?
  • What is most challenging to you about being part of a team?

Some things that you can do to practise teamwork

  • Savour a positive team interaction from the past by replaying it in your mind and then sharing it at a team meeting. 
  • Volunteer for a community project or a good social cause in the area where you live or work.
  • The next time someone close to you conveys that they are having a problem, ask if the two of you can approach the problem together as a team and work through it with them to find a solution. 

For more information on the strength of teamwork, go to https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths/teamwork

If you are interested in exploring how the practice of Character Strengths might be of benefit to your business and culture, contact Peter Maguire on 0438 533 311 or at info@poswork.com.au.

Acknowledgement: the primary reference for this post is “The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate And Ignite Your Positive Personality” by Ryan M. Niemiec & Robert E. McGrath (An Official Guide From The VIA Institute on Character)

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