Some people think of teenagers working on teams and just cringe. When I think of teenagers working together, I think of all the possibilities that can come from the opportunity to work together. I think about:

• teamwork What can happen

• creativity they bring with them

• leadership skills that can be breastfed

• interpersonal communication skills that can be developed

• conflict resolution experience

• critical thinking skills that develop

• collaboration they learn

• strengths, skills Y support for that are shared

There are so many other opportunities that await these young people when they work in teams that will benefit them throughout their lives. Learning to work in a team is a valuable skill and an asset that anyone can benefit from.

As new teams are formed, it is important that there is a sensible adult coach to oversee the team. An important part of the coaches job is to make sure the team follows the schedule/task guidelines, monitoring them for safety, guiding the team if they seem to get stuck or drifting to get their thoughts back on track, keeping focused on the project at hand (which can sometimes be difficult with a team of teenagers!) and, above all, it is the responsibility of the coach to make sure that the environment is positive for them to work well as a team, be it leading Work exercises team building, team building experiences (fun stuff, really necessary), having heart to heart discussions, training people on ways they can work better with others, or just having an open and constructive group discussion.

My teams have been fantastic and I’m very proud of their efforts, but what I’m most proud of is the experience they bring to each other and to me. This is what I have observed:

• Creativity – Through brainstorming, teens are the most creative group of people who come up with a variety of ideas and share them (no matter how weird they may seem, hey, some are pretty cool and viable options!). Your creativity leads to some very creative solutions!

• Leadership – throughout the process they experience leadership in a variety of ways. I believe that a true leader is someone who not only “leads” the team but also motivates, encourages, inspires and works side by side with the team.

• Communication – is number one in teamwork! Without effective communication there is chaos and animosity and the team will work against itself. Learning to communicate as a team is critical to team success.

• conflict resolution – In any team, conflict is bound to arise and when you get a group of teenagers together and each one wants to express their ideas, you know what happens. Whether the conflict is about an idea or solution or a personality conflict between team members, it must be resolved for the team to work well together and be effective.

• Critical thinking – the ability to evaluate complex problems and arrive at a feasible solution; then put plans in place that the team agrees to; all I can say is “Wow!”

• Collaboration – the way in which the team comes together to work and achieve the objectives. Share what they know with each other; being comfortable enough with each other to say they don’t know something (which is hard even for adults!); sharing their limitations and helping each other to learn new things.

• Strengths – each team member has their own strengths that they share with the team; they have no qualms about sharing their skills and offering the team the necessary support between them.

• Support for – The camaraderie that teenagers can show can be very touching. Seeing them come together when times get tough, cheer each other on, letting each other know it’s okay if someone makes a mistake, easing team members’ nerves before a performance/presentation.

This is not to say that coaching a team is a piece of cake. There are definite challenges and stressful situations, but hopefully the team can overcome the challenges and learn through the experience, making the team’s next experience a positive and productive one. The benefits a teen gets now will stay with them for her entire life; help make it a positive experience.