Tonight is the opening ceremony for the Olympics.
Think about everything that goes into getting an athlete to that moment. Years of early mornings. Families giving things up so their kids can chase a dream. Coaches, trainers, mentors, teachers, friends—countless people pouring time and energy into someone else’s success.
That’s teamwork at its finest.
And it made me wonder…
Why don’t we look at teamwork the same way in business anymore?
Somewhere along the line, teamwork became a buzzword.
In interviews, everyone is asked, “Are you good at working on a team?”
And of course, the answer is always yes.
But then you get some of those people into the office, and you realize they don’t contribute unless there’s something in it for them. They’ll delegate all day long, but rarely jump in themselves. Are they really practicing teamwork—or just moving tasks off their plate so they don’t have to do the work?
On the flip side, you’ve got those people who absolutely kick ass and take names. They’ll work with whoever they need to, roll up their sleeves, and make sure the task gets done—no ego involved.
That’s real teamwork.
Somehow, we also started calling everything a “team.” Remember Team Edward and Team Jacob from the Twilight days? Let’s be honest—those “teams” didn’t get those actors their roles. Fans just liked to belong to something, so the word got thrown around.
And maybe that’s part of the problem. We use the word team so loosely that it’s lost its meaning.
I still believe in the old saying: teamwork makes the dream work.
But teamwork doesn’t mean doing all the work. It means knowing who can help get the work done efficiently.
If that means I’m taking out the garbage after an event, changing the toilet paper in the bathroom, or grabbing someone a coffee because they’re buried in a project—that counts. Teamwork is stepping in where needed, not keeping score.
As much as I’d love to blame the decline of teamwork on COVID, the truth is it’s been slipping for years. I think part of the issue is that we don’t really know our coworkers anymore—their strengths, their weaknesses, what they’re actually good at.
And you can’t build a strong team if you don’t know the people on it.
I work for a small business, and for us, teamwork isn’t optional. We’re a small crew. We need to hit deadlines, keep the lights on, and maintain that small-business vibe instead of feeling like a giant corporation.
That’s not to say big companies don’t have teamwork—it’s just way more noticeable in smaller ones, because when someone doesn’t pull their weight, everyone feels it.
But teamwork doesn’t stop at work.
It shows up at home too.
We all have chores we hate. For me? Laundry. Growing up with a single mom who worked incredibly hard, laundry was my job—and it stuck with me.
Thankfully, I married someone who actually enjoys doing laundry (or at least makes it look like she does). In return, I don’t mind doing dishes or cleaning the kitchen. Now, don’t give that job to my daughter—she’s not a fan of the “yuckiness” of food on plates.
Then there are those moments when life just stacks up.
Last month, I had two cars with battery issues. That’s not a job you hand to just anyone, but my son stepped up and handled it, keeping everything moving. And when I forget something at the store, my oldest jumps in—she doesn’t mind making the extra trip.
That’s teamwork.
It’s knowing who’s good at what and letting them help, so all the balls stay in the air.
So maybe if teamwork isn’t working for you—at work or at home—it’s not because teamwork is broken.
Maybe it’s because you don’t know your team well enough yet.
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