Work Hard. Laugh Harder.

I have been on teams since the age of four. A love of hard work has been cultivated in me from a young age as well as working hard with others. Any accomplishments in my athletic or professional careers can be tied back to a strong team that works hard for a common goal. There’s no doubt that being able to persevere, goal set, and push for excellence in achievement are key parts to being successful. But there is an equally important element to success in teams and that is laughter.

Laughter has many benefits when working in a team and can become a backbone creating cohesion, generosity of spirit, and enjoyment. Laughter can diffuse a bad situation and remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. It’s also a sign that a team is comfortable being authentic with each other and enough mutual respect exists that egos won’t be bruised by playful joking.

A combination of hard work and laughter for me is the makeup of a truly special team. I enjoy coming to work because I know fun will be had alongside all of the important things I want to get done. It’s not always about finding more ways to work hard. Sometimes it’s finding time to laugh and remember we’re all in this together.

Note: the featured image was a team gift for a job well done. Part of the inspiration for this post.