<Author>Michael</Author>
<Topic>The Importance of Teamwork</Topic>
<Source></Source>
<Nationality>USA</Nationality>
Everyone needs to work well in a team of persons committed to a certain objective. Without effective teamwork, very few positive results would occur in a society, community, or organization. The seventeenth century writer, John Donne, wisely said: "No man is an island, whole and entire of himself. Everyone is part of the main. We have teamwork to pass, promote, and support laws that are beneficial to members of the group and beyond.
In America, our government has a system of checks and balances, whereby the executive branch cannot take that would violate the responsibilities of the legislature. The legislature can pass laws but they must be accepted by the president, or the legislature must attempt to override the presidents veto. The courts can stop actions by the legislature or the executive branch, which are considered unconstitutional or harmful to society as a whole. In this sense, though there may be opposition among the three branches of government, there is an ongoing teamwork among the branches.
In an organization, the management and entire company must have effective team work. Without research to develop products, the production of products, and the sale of these products to likely customers, the business will not flourish. In universities in America, there is an executive management, in the office of the president, vice presidents, deans, and directors, who must work with the faculty, and who in turn must work with the students to offer the best possible education to them. In a sports team, one who shuns team work often finds that the team does not win the sports events.
In a family, all members must work well together to maintain family harmony and to achieve basic family functions.
Though many Americans consider themselves as individualists, we all need to engage in effective team work in order to make our society function well and efficiently. Because I am an individualist myself, I always have to remind myself to work within the guidelines and cooperation of the team in which I am involved so that I can make individual contributions but respect the needs and decisions of the entire group within which I am working.