Team Work

The first time I came to the United States with Mercedes, I was impressed by how MBUSI expressed and lived by the motto “Teamwork makes it happen.” 18 years later, I still believe that Teamwork is one of the keystones to success. But what does Teamwork really mean?

For our SWJ TEAM, we tried to break down what Teamwork means and how it should be understood. What is the foundation of Teamwork and what are the pillars to make a great team?

It all starts with RESPECT for each other. The foundation for all working relationships is Respect. Only if we work in a polite and respectful way, can we work together and cooperate efficiently. Respect is in the way we do things, in the words we use, in the friendliness we show, and in the listening skills we develop; all in an effort to build relationships that are necessary for every team. Respect is therefore the basis or foundation of a great team! On top of Respect as the foundation, we found 4 pillars of Teamwork:

TRUST: Trust is much more than just trusting each other to do the right things; it includes the openness to show our weaknesses and to confess our mistakes, which leads to the improvement of ourselves and the Company. We trust in each other that criticism and potential conflicts are not intended to hurt each other or to show superiority, BUT to highlight errors to improve and to work on the best results for the Company. Trust is necessary to transform every deviation into great results and target achievements. We can trust each other for help and support in times of need.

ENGAGEMENT: We engage in our conversations and in our meetings and take an active part in the discussion of other topics just as much as in our own topics. When we come together, we not only work on our individual issues, but help in all areas to improve our Company and the results. We engage in our team to support each other for the best results of the team and Company. Engagement means supporting everyone and every task within the team.

ADVANCEMENT: We try to improve every day; we strive to continuously strengthen our Company, our procedures, our policies, and our services bit by bit. We never rest and think we have accomplished the objective, but always try to take the next step, add another opportunity, and stay restless, in order to overachieve our goals. We want to advance in our skills and knowledge for the better of the team.

MOTIVATION: Not only should we be intrinsically motivated and show compassion for our tasks and goal achievements, but even more so should we motivate others to do the same; to improve, to engage, and trust each other with respect. We are to be the role model to others and, at the same time, motivate them to follow the path.

Great TEAMS produce great results!

– By Wolfgang Kneer