The 10 Commandments of Teamwork

At GovLoop, we’ve been researching or covering technology issues facing the public sector and there always seems to be a common theme throughout every IT issue: soft skills are critical to successful IT deployment.

Technology is only a small piece of the equation. Gaining buy-in, building with the user in mind and communicating changes across the team are all essential to success with government IT. Certainly you need the technical skills and knowledge to deploy a solution, but leaders also need to be masters of soft skills, and guide change within their organization.

I thought I’d share what I saw as some of the commandments of teamwork, and how important they are when deploying a new IT solution, or any project you may find yourself working on. This list was created by thinking about some of the interviews we’ve done, and why their projects where so successful.

1. I will work to build trust
2. I will do all that I can to help my teammates succeed
3. I will make sure that I am not a roadblock to success
4. I will hold myself personally accountable
5. I will work on communicating effectively
6. I will say thank you and congratulate the team after our collective efforts
7. I will work to have my actions empower others
8. I will come prepared to meetings and be ready to contribute
9. I will seek help when needed and put the teams interests above my own
10. I will retain professional standards and ethics, and promote these standards to my team

When you drop each of these commandments into a complex, multi-faceted organization, they are very hard to implement. But when you do, you see the success and you can change the course of a project, no matter where you might rest on an organizational chart.

These ten are just a start. I am sure from your experiences you have plenty of your own. So why not share a few with us below by leaving a comment? What did I miss or overlook?

HP’s mission is to invent technologies and services that drive business value, create social benefit and improve the lives of customers — with a focus on affecting the greatest number of people possible. Check out their HP for Gov group on GovLoop.