If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
getty
We have witnessed how work has evolved, with transformative innovations changing how people work, where they work, and now what they will do. As work becomes increasingly global and digital, it’s important to build success through teamwork and collaboration. Strong relationships are essential to effectively to meet common objectives that align with the expectations of markets, customers, partners, communities, and shareholders.
Enter the era of AI, which may be our most consequential innovation of all time because it impacts everyone and will be everywhere. Although many may view AI as a threat to some aspects of work, we should also see it as an opportunity. Yes, there is much hype, new discoveries that come with the cost of implementation, and an increasing share of jobs affected by AI, with some jobs being replaced. However, many jobs are seeing significant boosts in productivity and efficiency from its use, as workers are smarter and faster and can shift their focus to higher-value activities.
So, the truth is that AI is no longer optional. It must be part of our toolkit, helping us orchestrate our decisions and actions for faster, better outcomes. But we must be mindful of our responsibility to preserve humanity’s role and minimize the potential erosion that could prevent us from thinking, creating, and connecting.
Speaking of connecting, teamwork and collaboration remain essential as we embrace the AI era. AI excels when it comes to the information processing aspects of human intelligence, especially in problem-solving, predictive insights, and memory. To me, this makes it an IQ equalizer because everyone can be smarter and more productive. Humans still have an advantage in emotional processing, primarily through our curiosity, judgment, and relationship skills. As we embrace AI as a partner, the winners will be those who effectively combine the use of AI for faster, smarter insights with their emotional intelligence by leading with curiosity, deciding with judgment, and scaling through relationships.
Teamwork and Collaboration Puts Company First
The world of work and the wider world may increasingly seem fractured; however, our relationships in such an apparently fragile environment may become even more important as a result, and it is up to each of us to show a willingness to collaborate, no matter the challenges involved.
Teamwork and collaboration are important because organizational and company goals are never achieved alone. We’re all in this together, and it really doesn’t matter where you are in your career lifecycle. It also doesn’t matter whether you particularly enjoy the company of a specific work colleague, be that your manager or someone else. Successful outcomes are achieved when people combine their collective skills, backgrounds, and experiences to address market opportunities and customer needs with creative, valuable solutions.
Sure, we’d all like to think we can collaborate easily and enjoy being with all our colleagues. Still, there will be times when we will come up against people and situations we don’t enjoy. That is perhaps the time to double down and work even harder on such collaboration, when you are outside that comfort zone, and things are challenging.
For example, you’ve been beaten to leading a project or a promotion for something you assumed you would be a great fit for. Instead, the position has been given to a colleague of yours who, perhaps in your mind, is not such a great match. You can certainly react with disappointment, but you must quickly dust yourself off so you can continue working productively with this person. It is particularly helpful for you to put your organization ahead of your disappointment and work extra hard for the benefit of the company. You will find that your time is far more likely to come quicker than you may think. Adopting a negative mindset, conversely, can only hold you back.
The same goes with your boss or line manager. Maybe you don’t particularly care for them as a person. Still, by working collaboratively and positively with them, you are making the success of the organization and the company your top priority. In difficult circumstances like these, teamwork becomes even more vital.
Trust and Communications
Research consistently demonstrates that strong relationships and effective collaboration are essential enablers of high performance and organizational success1. I remember in the early days of my career, a group of employees would routinely gather each week at a local bar after work. Over time, it became clear to me that such gatherings weren’t just about socializing. They were about building trust and comfort through engagement. I didn’t always want to participate, but I found that the gatherings were vital for getting to know my colleagues better outside the work environment. Those gatherings strengthened relationships and enabled stronger collaboration in the work environment, allowing us to execute faster and better as a team.
It doesn’t matter what level of the career ladder you may be on. Don’t assume, for example, that as a C-suite executive in a position of power, you do not need extensive collaboration. As a worker, you should never assume that you have nothing to offer to help improve the work environment and the organization. Teamwork and collaboration are about recognizing the need to get things done effectively by leveraging individual capabilities to produce better solutions and results. You are never successful alone. As the saying goes, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
1. J. Richard Hackman, Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002), 1–25.