What is team work?

What is team work? When asked this question, the usual answer would be “a group of people with the ability to work effectively in a group with the objective of achieving a common goal”. 

Each member has a role to play within the team. How well a team works together can spell success and failure of a project. Several success stories have been credited to “team effort” and rightly so.

Trust, mutual respect, commitment, communication, taking responsibility, cooperation are some of the skills that are usually listed as required as team work skills to achieve desired results. These are qualities that employers often seek in prospective employees.

A team comprises a group of people, each with their own personality. And it is the personality of each team member more than the individual expertise or ability that each has to offer, which determines how well a team works together and delivers desired results in time.

Each one of us has a physical profile (defined by our height, complexion, collar number, waist size, etc.), intellectual profile and ego profile (my bank balance, car, job designation, locality of residence, size of house, contacts, power, clothes, etc.).

Then there is the “soul profile”. This is most important. Soul profile defines your uniqueness, your strengths. Your occupation or your position in the society or physical profile do not define you. It is your soul profile, which defines you, who you are as a person.

According to Dr Deepak Chopra, to know your soul profile, ask yourself the following seven questions while sitting in a meditative poise or in state of relaxation. The answer to each question should be either in three words or three phrases.

1.    What is my purpose of life?

2.    What is my contribution going to be for my friends and family?

3.    Three instances in my life when I had my peak experiences.

4.    Names of three people who inspire me the most.

5.    Three qualities which I admire in others the most.

6.    Three of my unique talents.

7.    Three qualities I best express in my relationship

The 21 answers to these seven questions characterize your soul profile and define every action you perform in your life.

A team therefore should be a right mix of personalities (profiles) with jobs assigned that match their profile. These profiles influence team performance and the dynamics within a team. But, when these profiles match, success becomes a natural and automatic outcome. Conflict results when these profiles are mismatched. A person with a stronger ego profile may be assigned a leadership role. Never put two egoistic people together.

To build a great team, a team leader must harness the strength of each member of his/her team. Match these profiles for a more cohesive working. This is also how each member of a team can maximize his/her strengths.

Dr KK Aggarwal

National President IMA & HCFI

Recipient of Padma Shri, Dr BC Roy National Award, Vishwa Hindi Samman, National Science Communication Award & FICCI Health Care Personality of the Year Award

Vice President Confederation of Medical Associations of Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)

Past Honorary Secretary General IMA

Past Senior National Vice President IMA  

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Gold Medalist Nagpur University

Limca Book of Record Holder in CPR 10

Honorary Professor of Bioethics SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre  
Sr. Consultant Medicine & Cardiology, Dean Board of Medical Education, Moolchand
Editor in Chief IJCP Group of Publications & eMedinewS

Member Ethics Committee Medical Council of India (2013-14)  

Chairman Ethics Committee Delhi Medical Council (2009-15)

Elected Member Delhi Medical Council (2004-2009)

Chairman IMSA Delhi Chapter (March 10- March 13)

Director IMA AKN Sinha Institute (08-09)
Finance Secretary IMA (07-08)
Chairman IMAAMS (06-07)
President Delhi Medical Association (05-06)