Our ability to work in a team is tested many times over in early childhood; does a child find it easy or difficult to integrate into a playgroup? What position/attitude does he or she take in it? How does the child's presence affect the others in the group, or does the child adapt his or her typical behavioural patterns in order to feel better integrated?

From an evolutionary point of view, we are all ‘team players’. Survival was only possible as a group, and the expulsion of a member from his group was considered a death sentence. In fact, the Homo Sapiens species would hardly have been able to establish itself in the long term, let alone produce such highly complex societies and cultures, had it not acted in the form of groups and later in social structures. All that we are today once grew out of our willingness to cooperate.

Even if, unlike thousands of years ago, our survival as a species is no longer at stake, the ability to work in a team is still an essential skill for a society to function. We feel comfortable and valued when we experience a sense of belonging, and that should be the case in a team.

Interestingly, the thought of working with others can evoke very different feelings in us. Rather negative emotions arise as soon as you are not allowed to choose your group. Whether it's a new project at school, at university or at work, you prefer to work with people whose personality or skills you value the most. But what if you have to find your way into a team initially, or build it up, or find your way back into it after a dispute?

BEGINNING: How do I join or rejoin a team?
If the group constellation is uncertain or you yourself are a ‘newcomer’ in an already existing group, the joy of the announced group work can quickly turn into discomfort for a simple reason: we do not know what and who is expecting us. We cannot adjust to the dynamics of the group in advance. For the time being, we have to take on the dynamics more passively and engage with them temporarily. It must be taken into account that the team is usually just as unaware of what to expect from your participation. The team can also not predict how your presence will affect the dynamics of the group. In such uncertain situations, caution is advised. An open, unbiased, honest and at the same time not too arrogant encounter on both sides is the recommended approach here.

ANTICIPATION: Stay flexible!
Working together always requires a certain willingness to compromise. We have to find compromises with ourselves, with our ideas and convictions, but also with those of others. We may have to take on new, unfamiliar positions. Perhaps it will be a managerial position or a more open, creative position. It depends on the dynamics of the group and the individual characteristics of all members. So don't close yourself off from new challenges, stay open to new things and maybe you will even discover new strengths for yourself.

PARTICIPATION: Get involved!
The team won't benefit from you if you hold back too much! Share your own ideas and opinions openly with the other members, even if you risk a heated discussion. The best decisions can be made together precisely because everyone brings a different perspective to the table. Ultimately, this is how the most coherent decisions for everyone can be made. We humans are incredibly individual, and our strength as a team should be to use our individuality to our advantage. If you feel that you are not able to express your opinion freely, not only you will be dissatisfied with the collaboration in the long term, but everyone involved. Consequently, good results will not be achieved and the team will fail.

RESPECT AND TRUST: Listen to others and have faith in others!
Treat others as you would like them to treat you! The best way to work together is when all team members feel respected and heard. Take the suggestions and ideas of others seriously and don't dismiss them just because they seem insignificant at first glance or because you are convinced that your own idea is better. Learn to delegate responsibility and trust that others will do it in the best possible way for the benefit of the team. You can't do all the work alone. In a team, the work is shared in order to optimise the quality and quantity of the project.

COMMUNICATION: Discussions are unavoidable!
Don't avoid discussions, don't shy away from them, because often the best solutions arise from them. They are part of the process and highlight unresolved issues. Discussions initiate a solution-finding process. The principles already listed apply here again (Listen to others! Make constructive suggestions or criticism! Remain respectful and trust in the strength of the team!). Collaboration cannot work if everyone does their work alone, without exchanging ideas or coordinating with the team. Those who do not talk to each other, but at worst only about each other, miss out on the huge advantages of teamwork!