Teamwork is not just a catchphrase.
In today's business world, with less people doing more work, teamwork can literally make-or break-a company. And when everyone works together, anything and everything is possible. In his Power of OneT book, Teamwork, Glenn Parker discusses the importance of fostering an enjoyable atmosphere within your team.

Create a relaxed climate
One signal that your team is effective is that you enjoy being around the people. You actually want to come to team meetings. You look forward to all associations and contacts with other team members. Do you know what that feeling is like? Is it true for your current team?

You know the feeling because you have had the opposite feeling so many times. When you are part of a poorly functioning team, your reaction to receiving the meeting notice is usually something like "ugh." You dread the team get-togethers and find yourself looking for excuses to avoid the meetings and other contacts with team members.

A team with a positive climate bypasses formalities such as rigid voting rules and raising hands before speaking. Humor seems to be an integral part of successful teams. Members talk about team meetings as "enjoyable," and "fun," and even "a lot of laughs." When the environment is relaxed and informal, team members feel free to engage in good-natured kidding, social banter about events unrelated to work, and anecdotes regarding recent company events.

Why is an informal climate so important? Research tells us that people do their best thinking, most creative idea-generation, best decision-making and most effective problem-solving when they are relaxed.
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What is your Team Spirit Quotient (TSQ)?
Read the following statements and write a number in the space next to the statement that represents your assessment of the current situation on your team according to this scale:

1 Almost Never
2 Rarely
3 Sometimes
4 Often
5 Almost Always

___1. Sounds of laughter are often heard during our team meetings.

___2. We are able to both have fun and get the work done.

___3. When team members get together, there is a lot of good-natured kidding of each other.

___4. There is a positive, friendly spirit to just about everything we do.

___5. We regularly get together for coffee, lunch, dinner or other informal events.

___ TOTAL SCORE

19 - 25: High Spirit. Your team is a fun place to be! Your meetings are never boring, always enjoyable and productive. Other people want to know how they can sign up to work with you.

11 - 18: Loosen Up a Little. You are just sticking your big toe in the spirit waters. Let go, loosen up and enjoy it. Your team will be more productive and creative.

5 - 10: Spirit Transplant Needed. Enough said.