 Whether you're working on a project, playing in a soccer team or have a part-time job, you're always collaborating with others. That's why teamwork is so important. Achieving common goals, expressing expectations, making clear agreements, indicating what you can and want to do, and helping each other. Teamwork is not only beneficial during your studies but also throughout the rest of your life. When you work together, you utilise the best qualities of everyone in the group and this gives you the opportunity to learn from each other. But if things go wrong, it can lead to stress, conflicts and less satisfactory results. So how do you collaborate effectively? Start with a plan and determine what you want to achieve together. Identify the qualities within the team that are needed to reach this goal. You'll need to get to know each other to do this as everyone has unique talents. One person might be good at seeing the big picture while another has an eye for detail. And while one person likes to take the lead, another might be better in calmly figuring things out in the background. When it's time to do so, make clear agreements about who does what and when. Agree on what to expect from each other and when you will meet again. And regularly discuss progress. It's inevitable that someone doesn't stick to what you agreed upon. In that case, speak to that person in a positive tone. Give and receive feedback. You'll not only learn a lot, but you'll also make celebrating successes more enjoyable. Do you also want to learn to work together better? Click here.