I admire Phil Jackson so much because of his legacy in the basketball world. One of his famous words that I can’t forget is “The strength of the team comes from its individual members; the strength of each member comes from the team.” That’s what we call teamwork.

In case of an emergency, first responders have to work together to get to the scene of an accident quickly. In a nonprofit, departments have to compete for the budget money, yet remain mindful of other essential organization functions. Inside a classroom, the mutual connection of the teacher and her pupils is built by collaborative learning and teaching. In the business world, teamwork is a relevant factor that promotes good relationship of the boss and their subordinates. Every given team needs to work hand in hand to achieve their common goal.

In any group or organization, teamwork is very essential. The goal of each team cannot be realized if only the leader works for it. A joint action of all the team members is needed to come up with a result that satisfies the whole group because of unity and cooperation. The French people have an excellent expression of teamwork: esprit de corps. This means a sense of harmony, of enthusiasm for common interests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons closely associated in a task, cause or enterprise.

Why is teamwork important? Here are 5 good reasons why it is considered the core value of the workplace:

• It creates synergy – the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual.
• It provides empowerment – the development of all the potentials of the team and transforms it towards goal achievement.
• It promotes less hierarchical structure – due to the fact that the team has a shared vision and commitment, superiority or inferiority has no place. All works for one, one works for all.
• It upholds flexibility and responsiveness – everyone becomes open to accept responsibilities
• It encourages equality and sense of achievement – the team builds a strong sense of belongingness and considers every achievement as a fruit of their collective effort.

Teamwork is like glue that keeps the team together, a bond which cultivates harmony, strength, consistency and support. Teamwork is also the oil that enables the group to move smoothly towards targets, sustains momentum and overcome obstacles. In short, teamwork makes the dream work.

Support is a term that can be expressed by various manifestations. It is an act of preserving or upholding a cause or entity or to help and make something established and sustained. In the case of leadership and management, support is like a spare tire that replaces the exhausted one. We obtain support from a group, concerned individuals or people within the team who have the willingness to keep its shape and power. Whatever we call it, may it be technical, moral or financial support, a certain organization or group needs the assistance and reinforcement to maintain its vitality and strength of the team.

In many ways, any person or group can show the right support to your team. So what more can we get from the word “support”?

• It means to promote the interest or cause of the team. Promoting the values and vision of the team should begin from the team itself. Before anything else, team members should be familiar what the goals are and how will they achieve it. It includes the behavior that they must exhibit within the team to ensure that everyone functions with the same positive and desirable outlook. It covers all your technical skills and potentials to develop the entire team.
• It is upholding and defending the team. That means spending time with the members. Giving support means to give your loyalty to the group. This is best shown with the relationship you build with your leader and with other members. Loyalty is all about protecting the image of the team or organization. You do it by simply exercising honesty and truthfulness to your boss or to your manager.
• It denotes provision or substantiation. A team won’t work without finances. Much more with a big company or organization. Money talks and it is an important thing that the team needs. A music team won’t be efficient if it does not have money. A drum and lyre corps won’t perform well if their instruments are poor because it lacks maintenance. When we speak maintenance, it involves money. It doesn’t matter where the sources are, what’s important is that finance keeps the team from falling.
• It means to assist or to help. In its simplest meaning, support is giving cold water to your team players or cheering up when the game is going on. Whether you’re playing sports or delivering a PowerPoint presentation, encouragement is key. Making your team mate feel that he is appreciated for his job is worth an incredible support. A tap at the shoulder or a simple “thumbs up” is such a rewarding gesture for your fellow team members.

“Good sportsmanship” or “being a good sport” is the heart of any sports, games or competitions. It is expresses an aspiration that the activity or game will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect and a sense of fellowship with one’s opponents. While winning the championship or getting the first place can be cool, being a good player is realizing that it is trying your best, participating and having fun that matters most!

It is important to show fair play in any sports or contests. Whether you won or lost, you should have a spirit of openness and gratitude to accept every result of the game. A winner who is a good sport never brags. If you’ve done your best and the other doesn’t, it is not good to laugh at their mistakes. Or if your competitors loses a point, it is also displeasing to shout a “boo” or show some unwholesome gestures. A winner should be proud about his achievements but a good sport never makes another player feel bad about losing.

Losing should not be a way to get discouraged. A good loser doesn’t murmur or blame the team or his team mate. Remember that trying your best and enjoying the whole game is what matters the most. Don’t get bitter. Focus on the highlights of the experience like the points you contributed for the team or the support you made for your fellow player. A good sport always congratulates his opponents.
Honesty is also part of good sportsmanship. As a player, you should not give into temptation to cheat to pursue your own victory.

Checking an injured opponent and reporting it to their coach is a desirable quality of fair play. As a golden rule, treat your opponents in the same manner that you’d like to be treated. Smile and be friendly. That’s an important attitude of a good sport.