What are the benefits of working together?

In my life, I play many roles: I am a teacher, a mentor, a son, a brother, a friend, and a leader. In my experience, there are several benefits to working together in a group. First, working together means that I have the chance to colloaborate with others and create something bigger than myself. For example, when I was in high-school I played the role of Lenny in Neil Simon's Rumors. Although I was one of the principle characters in the play, my lines would not have been funny (or effective) if my acting partners did not do their job as well. Each member of the cast was only as strong as the person(s) playing opposite us. It is through this process of playing off of each other that each of us helped to create a play that was bigger, better, and funnier than any individual could have ever been.

Another benefit of working together is that you get to hear points of view other than your own. For example, when I was in graduate school, I frequently had to work with colleagues to present research, create a performance, and devise curricula. The great thing about working in groups was that my colleagues brought to the table ideas, points of view, and experiences that I did not have. I learned and was enriched by everyones'experiences; and once again, our final product turned out to be better than what any individual could have produced

These are just some of the benefits of working together. For as long as I live, I hope to have both the opportunity and good fortune of collaborating with and benefiting from working with other people.

For more information on the benefits of teamwork, consider reading one of the following articles:

• The 7 Benefits of Teamwork
• The Importance of Teamwork in the Company
• Team Building Games