The fundamental shift from “hard work” to “smart work” is one of the topics being discussed in “soft skills” training sessions today. This idea has not only found its place in families but also educational institutions. Similarly, personality development trainers insist on many `incredibly quicker and simpler\' ways of solving problems. Positive thinking, it seems, is an all-clear formula that possesses curative power beyond comprehension. Many such life saving drugs in the form of ideas and concepts are now available in packages that are offered during a quick and short-term course that promises to develop and unfold one\'s personality.

Those who are already in the job market perhaps know that employers look for people who can perform well in a team. If you look through the “appointments” columns newspapers, a large percentage of the jobs advertised demand that the candidate be a “team player.”

John Castro, President and CEO of Merrill Corporation in “Trust, Teamwork and Business in the 90s” says that “Teamwork used to be something you needed only for special projects. Now, it\'s the norm. Potential employees used to be asked about their individual accomplishments in previous jobs. Now organizations want to know if you are a team player and ask about team success stories.” Practically every area of work requires that one be able to work as a group.  

On few occasions that students are asked to work on a team project, one or two of them more often than not do all the work while the rest reap the collective benefit. This is not always because the ones who do not work are shirkers-often, but rather do not know how to organize their work to benefit a team.

Today there is a lot of literature by management experts on what makes teams work, and what I touch upon here are just a few features of that “collaborative” mindset. Teamwork depends on the principle that “none of us is as good as all of us.” Being part of a team means being interdependent in a relationship and being able to trust others. Trust is a big part of teamwork that most of us find hard to adopt. If we are to get things done as a team, we need to be able to rely on our teammates to do their bit, and then unreservedly give our best to do our bit. Most of us will do our best only if we are convinced that the others on the team will do their best!

Learning how to work as a team player means recognizing other people\'s capabilities and planning together how the different capabilities and skills can be put to use so that each person\'s time and energy is best used. Castro likens the team approach to getting on a train and making sure that everyone has a seat by the time it starts!

But first, you must be independent. You must learn how to do your own job well. If you cannot function well on your own, an office team can turn into an outlet for all your personality flaws. Independent people know what makes them tick and what\'s important in their lives. These are called values or ethics. These values can then be brought to any team and become part of the contributing process. People who do not understand themselves well (and manage themselves well) will have a hard time being effective on a team. After all, you need to earn the trust of your teammates that you will do your bit well, too! Cooperation means pooling all the resources and ideas of each individual and putting aside ones personal goals for the objective of the team. This is of course easier said than done, but you probably have been part of a team many times without realizing it, for example in the basketball or cricket field, in the science lab, as a member of a family. Each of these occasions requires you to develop relationships and roles, and define responsibilities.

It is now time to think about each of those experiences, and put them into your learning portfolio in readiness for work. But of course, it\'s equally important to recognize that some of us cannot be team players. We do our best work as individuals, and teams only sap our energies and make us less productive. There\'s nothing wrong with that, but it\'s a facet of your personality that you need to recognize and accept before you decide upon a career path that might depend upon your ability to work in a team.