The Joy of Co-Workers

Some things are universal in the world of work.  Nearly everyone has complained about co-workers at some point.  Even those that work alone have probably complained at some point.  That is just part of the job.  Nevertheless, our teammates and leaders provide us a long list of positives on which we can focus. A Whole Better Than The Sum First and foremost, we can accomplish much more as a team than individually.  This statement is not always true.  There are highly ineffective teams.  However, most of the time, adding additional points of view is a boost to productivity.  If that were not the case, then we would not have industries to help us make the most of teams and teamwork.  There is a cost to building a team as it can complicate things.  That cost is outweighed by the ROI you get when you put those heads together. Blind Spots and Points Of View Everyone has blind spots.  Nevertheless, there is no shame in this.  We are just not omniscient in any area. Therefore, we will miss things.  When we add the input of others, we have an opportunity to reduce those weak areas.  A blind spot for one person may be seen entirely by the next person.  Think about two people standing back-to-back and how the blind spots of one are seen clearly by the other.  We can extend this situation to team members that are dramatically different.  However, I will avoid waxing philosophic on that topic at this point. Avoiding Writer's Block Via Co-Workers We all have times where we fall into a rut or become too focused on a certain point.  These situations can lead to things like writer's block.  A good example is the popular escape game setup.  You have a group of people that are asked to escape via some situation, and when they work together, they can be far more successful.  The mindset of one person can often be primed by input from another.  This benefit has often been considered and even has a name in classic literature.  That is what a muse does for the recipient. Episode Challenge: When did you last thank a co-worker?  Time to spread some affirmation. Read more about advancing your career.

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