Ever caught yourself saying ‘teamwork makes the dream work’? Although it’s easy to dismiss this casual line as a clichéd catchphrase or a tongue-in-cheek remark, there’s actually more to it than most realise. Let’s dive into what it means and how we can all benefit from dreaming bigger, together.
‘Teamwork makes the dream work’ sounds like the kind of mantra that’s been around forever, but it’s actually relatively recent. The term originates from a 2002 book of the same name by American author and speaker John C. Maxwell. Maxwell’s book explores the importance of teamwork and focuses on the idea that in order for a dream to be achievable, you need the right people working together.
In Maxwell’s eyes, teams need key strengths like creativity, competence, commitment, and cooperation. When these qualities come together, he suggests that bigger goals and aims suddenly become achievable.
In the book, Maxwell recommends that teams should focus on big dreams and suggests that if a dream is achievable by an individual alone, it’s not big enough. But what does this really mean?
The idea is that teams should prioritise large, transformative goals that take a whole team to achieve, rather than smaller goals that are less significant. This requires a little self-sacrifice because it means looking beyond solo dreams and focusing on the bigger dream that benefits everyone.
Did you know? Teams that set clear goals are 4.5 times more likely to show effective collaboration and get work done quicker.
So, what are the benefits of working as a team? Here are just a few…
According to one study, almost 70% of employees feel that having positive relationships with colleagues brings them happiness at work. And it’s not much of a surprise, really. When we’re able to share responsibility, work towards common goals, and feel connected with one another, we feel more positive and work more productively. This reduces the likelihood of becoming burnt out because we feel supported, safe to share struggles, and more resilient on the whole.
Research from Cloverpop shows that teams with diverse members outperform others in decision-making 87% of the time. This strengthened decision-making is thanks to the varied perspectives and experiences you get as a result of a diverse team. Teams with only one viewpoint would not only be bland, but they’d also lack the balance needed to innovate and make great decisions. With a little back and forth, we can ensure what we do is well thought out and create more opportunities for great ideas to arise.
Teams naturally create opportunities for learning. When people collaborate, they pick up new approaches, tools, and ways of thinking from one another. This kind of informal knowledge-sharing helps individuals to grow faster while strengthening the whole team’s abilities. Whether it’s mentoring, cross-training, or supporting each other with Personal Development Plans, working together accelerates development in a way solo work rarely can.
Being part of a collective and using the word ‘we’ makes us feel part of something larger. As a result, the huge, scary dream that would never be achievable alone feels like it could suddenly be within reach. In his book, John Maxwell said, ‘One is too small a number to achieve greatness.’ In other words, the greater the goal is, the more we need the ‘we’.
Does your team feel more like a group of individuals with separate goals than a collective with a shared vision? To achieve the ‘dream’, everyone needs to be aligned. Here are some key steps you can take to get everyone on the same page.
Discuss the dream: Meet to discuss what the big dream is. If there’s always been a dream but it hasn’t been reached, openly discuss why. Is it a fair and meaningful dream that benefits everyone in the company, or is it the dream of a single senior member of staff? When deciding upon a dream, focus on creating a goal that everyone can get behind; otherwise, it’s much more likely to fail.
Plan how everyone can be a part of it: In order to make the dream happen, it’s vital to pinpoint which activities feed into the dream, what people’s specific contributions need to be, and ways to build excitement around it. Working towards a shared vision should feel uplifting and inspiring. If your ‘big dream’ feels more like a big chore, you may need to redelegate or switch up the goal itself.
Create a SWOT analysis: If your current team is out of sync, try to be realistic about what caused things to become fragmented and what could bring everyone together. Ask: what needs aren’t being met? How can everyone feel more supported in achieving their shared goals? How can we listen to each other better? With a SWOT analysis, you’ll be able to spot any weaknesses and focus on building better teamwork skills.
Ultimately, teamwork only makes the dream work when the dream itself is built to include everyone.
Not sure what your company dream should be? The best kinds of dreams are people-focused and purpose-driven, so aim to go beyond financial targets or goals for show. Why not make it your dream to create an inclusive, diverse workforce that prioritises collaboration and uplifts every voice?
This is the kind of dream that creates a positive feedback loop: it supports the business by boosting productivity and facilitating better decision-making and innovation, and it benefits each staff member by giving them a safe, happy place to work where nothing holds them back.
When the dream is built around equity, belonging, and respect, you create something that lasts far beyond quarterly targets or annual reviews. You create a legacy.
Our small but mighty team builds leading-edge software that people love. We pride ourselves on a user-led approach to product design. The voice of the customer shapes what we create and that’s exactly how great assistive tech should be made.
