​Watching the England World Cup Squad make its way through another  tournament has been incredible. The effort, teamwork and quality of their performances brought them to the brink of immortality. Enormous credit goes to Gareth Southgate for showing outstanding management, in the sense that he’s built a team that plays to their strengths and works so cohesively.

Compare this to recent England teams where on paper the starting 11 has been somewhat world class, yet have failed to achieve due a distinct lack of coherence & teamwork.  Just imagine the 2004 England squad below playing under Gareth Southgate instead of playing in Sven Goran Eriksson’s rigid 4-4-2.

I think Michael Jordan’s famous quote summarise the above point perfectly - “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”– Michael Jordan 

Although England did not go on to lift the World Cup I think we can all agree that a huge factor of the success the England team have had thus far is down to their teamwork and cohesiveness both on and off the pitch.

Developing teamwork within an organisation is essential to success, whether it’s a football team, a company that manufacturer’s car door handles or a recruitment business, it is essential that the team in place are working towards the same goal.

The benefits of teamwork may seem obvious but there are some benefits which most don’t consider, for example;

    1. Fosters Creativity and Learning

Creativity thrives when people work together on a team. Brainstorming ideas as a group prevents stale viewpoints that often come out of working solo. Combining unique perspectives from each team member creates more effective selling solutions.

2. Blends Complementary Strengths

Working together lets employees build on the talents of their teammates. While your strength may be creative thinking, a coworker might shine in organization and planning. Do not hesitate to share your abilities with the team.

3. Builds Trust

Without trust, a team crumbles and cannot succeed on assigned projects. Great teams build each other up and strengthen individual members to create a cohesive group. By working together, employees learn that wins and losses affect everyone on the team. Teamwork necessitates confidence in each other’s distinct abilities.

4. Promotes a Wider Sense of Ownership

Teamwork is not just helpful for employees. It benefits the employer in the long run as well. Employees that connect directly with their workplace are more likely to stay with the company. While employees leaving their jobs often cite a lacking salary, another common complaint is that their contributions do not seem to matter. Teamwork allows people to engage with the company and add to the bigger picture.

5. Encourages Healthy Risk-Taking

An employee working on a project alone will probably not want to stick their neck out for an off-the-wall idea. If the project fails when working solo, that employee takes the full brunt of the blame. While you may not get full credit for a successful team project, working with other people spreads out the responsibility for a failed assignment.