Playing sports almost my entire life, I learned teamwork at a pretty young age.  Whether I was playing soccer, softball, volleyball, or ice hockey, teamwork was what we needed in order to win the game.

The workplace isn’t much different.  When coworkers and I work together as a team, we are able to produce incredible results.  It isn’t easy however and it’s not just something that happens overnight.  Effective teamwork takes hard work and lots and lots of compromise.

So, in my opinion what makes for great teamwork?

Good leadership:  I’ve had good team captains and I’ve had bad team captains, and in my opinion good leadership is one of the most important components of teamwork.  The team captain, or leader, needs to be someone who knows how to work with people, who can maintain a positive working environment, and who can motivate and inspire team members.  A good leader also needs to know when to compromise with the team and how to trust his or her team members to get the job done.

Communication: Without communication, teams fall apart.  If you are playing a sport and nobody is calling for the ball, or letting team members know someone is coming up behind them, there isn’t a good chance for success.  The workplace is the same way.  People need to communicate goals and express their ideas in ways other people can understand.  Also, when expressing ideas and viewpoints, it’s important to do so in a positive way.

Establishing Roles: I always find it much easier to work with people if the people you are working with have a clear understanding of what their roles are.  Who is going to be doing the writing?  Who will take on the design?   While roles are set, it’s important to remember that no one person is above others in a team.  Yes, I’m going to say it, there is no “I” in team.  If something happens and the team falls behind schedule, it is not one person’s fault, it’s the team’s.  If a team member is struggling with a task, other members need to help them.  Teams need to stick together through the thick and the thin to be successful.   That means not pointing fingers, staying positive, and sticking up for one another no matter what happens.

Conflict Resolution:  This is so extremely important when working with others.  Team members should be able to voice their concerns and tell others how they feel without fear of offending them.  Members need to be able to take criticism, listen to suggestions, and compromise without getting upset.  I’m going to say it again, there’s no “I” in team.  If other team members tell you how they feel about a certain situation, try not to get upset.  Listen to what they have to say and take into consideration that what they are telling you just might be right.  Is it tough to let others criticize your work or the way you get things done?  Heck yes! But trust me, in the end, it will improve your team’s performance.  And that’s what’s most important right? It might be hard, but in my experience with the many, many teams I’ve worked with, it really does help in the long run.

So, take these questions into consideration.  Do you practice good leadership skills?  Is there clear communication with those you work with?  How’s the conflict resolution?  Do people feel as though they are better than others on your team? If so, share this with them!

Knowing how to successfully work as a team is going to be crucial no matter where you go.  Following these four suggestions will not only ensure your success, but make your life much easier.

Those of you who work in the creative field know how important inspiration is and how important it is to have a constant source of it. However, every so often, we get stuck. We aren’t sure what or how to use the many sources of inspiration in our crazy world.

What is inspiration?

According to Wikipedia, inspiration, in an artistic sense, is “sudden creativity in artistic production.” In advertising, that inspiration plays an essential role in design. Can you imagine advertisements without it? They become lifeless, boring and mundane.

Advertising is not just giving consumers the information necessary to know what a candy bar tastes likes, how much it costs and where to find it. No, it’s evolved into a combination of complex design work and well laid out content. Designers must constantly be pushing their own limits and come up with new and exciting ways to reach out to target markets. They need to be inspired.

How to become inspired?

The best part of all of this is that anyone and everyone can be inspired. It doesn’t matter where you are, who you are talking to or what you are looking at. As long as you are open and willing, you can be inspired.

Where can inspiration be found?

• Nature: Look at the colors, the shapes, the sizes, the textures that seem to be randomly put together to make such beautiful pieces of art. Take note of it all and try to use nature’s colors or shapes in your next design piece.
• Magazines: Check out the different layouts that are being used today, or even were used in the past. Look at the different fonts, and the placement of those fonts in relation to images.
• Typography: Have you ever opened up a typography book just for fun? If not, I highly suggest that you do. Beautiful typography can make an entire design piece flow.
• Photography: Viewing different media, such as photography, can open up your mind to different ideas that you may have never thought of.
• The Web: Need I say more? You can find anything on the web, just make sure you are still coming up with your own creative ideas and not stealing others.
• Emotions: Take whatever emotions you might have towards someone or something and use it in your next design.