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D10 WAYS TOPOCKET READERS
10 WAYS TO - Series Overview

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The 10 WAYS TO series provides advice, skills, andstrategies to the readers for successfully negotiating
different aspects of life. Each book suggests 10 clear,
useful ways to the reader. The reader is encouraged
to critically reflect on the reading material and theirown lives in order to make any changes that would
benefit them. The series includes the following.
••••••••••

10 ways to achieve work-life balance
10 ways to be more productive
10 ways to manage money
10 ways to be successful in love
10 ways to be assertive
10 ways to be smart online
10 ways to be environmentally friendly
10 ways to be healthy
10 ways to work in a team
10 ways to organize a trip

DMore titles will appear in the series at a later date.

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Work in a Team

10 WAYS TOWork in a Team.... 4

1. Know your strengths.... 6SO A
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Introduction.... 83. Cooperate...10

4. Build trust... 12

5. Brainstorm... 14

6. Use technology... 16

7. Be a leader... 18

8. Don’t be a leader... 209. Think long-term... 22

10. Respect each other... 24

Summary... 26

Reflection Questions... 28

Vocabulary in Context... 29Vocabulary List... 36D

2. Ask for feedback310 WAYS TO

Introduction

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In nature, many kinds of animals
work together. For example, ants
show each other where to find food.
They help to bring the food home.
Some animals hunt together. They
kill faster animals by attacking frommany directions. When these animals cooperate, their job becomeseasier. People also cooperate all thetime. Working in a team is an important skill that everyone should learn.
Everyone can learn a lot when theywork as part of a team. People are alldifferent. We all have different things
we are good at. We all have different
skills we can offer a team. This means
we can help each other by being partof a big project.

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However, working in a team can bevery difficult. People are different.
And, we all think and act differently.
This can cause problems when we try
to work together. We all want people tolisten to our ideas. So, sometimes, wecan keep speaking without listening toothers. Sometimes our pride makes us
feel better than others. But, in a goodteam we should all feel the same. We
should feel that we are all important.

DNow, stop and think about the times
you have worked in a team. Did you
feel happy to work together with others? Was it easy, or was it difficult?
Why? A good team works well together. They cooperate, and each teammember feels happy. Here are ten ways
to help you work better in a team:5

10 WAYS TO

1. Know your strengths

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Everyone is different. We all havestrengths – something we are goodat doing. For example, some people
have good computer skills. Somepeople can do math quickly. Somepeople are good at speaking to alarge group of people. The first step
to becoming a good member of ateam is to understand yourself. Youshould know your strengths. And,you should know which skills you are
not so good at. You should tell yourteam about your strengths. This way,
the team will know what kind of jobs
you can do easily. Imagine that yourteam is working on a project. They
need to decide which member should
do which job. If a job matches your6

Work in a Teamstrengths, you should offer to workon that job.

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You should also learn about the other members in the team. You shouldlearn their strengths. If you ever havea problem, you will know which
member to ask for help. Each member of your team can give you somegood advice. They can help you solve
problems quickly.

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10 WAYS TO

2. Ask for feedback

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Maybe, you are a new member of ateam. Maybe, you have been a member of your team for a long time.
You can be a new member or an oldmember. But, everyone should always listen to feedback. Listening tofeedback is the best way to continue
getting better at your job. People inyour team, your team leader, yourcustomers, or your teachers can giveyou good advice. You should always
listen and try to improve.

Feedback can prevent blind spots.
Feedback helps you see and understand a problem. Sometimes, you
may not even know there is a problem. If we learn about the problem,

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Work in a TeamDSO AN MP
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we may have a bad habit, but we do
not know it is bad. And sometimes,
our pride stops us from listening togood advice. But, if you listen to feedback, it will always help you to improve yourself. Also, if people knowthat you listen to feedback, they willtrust you more. And, they will always
tell you if there is a problem. This isbecause they know that you will listen. This kind of rapport is very important in any team. You should build
rapport, because it will help you solve
problems in the future.

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Reflection Questions

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1. Can you remember the 10 ways to workin a team? Test yourself. If you forget
any, go back, and read them again.
2. Do you do any of the 10 ways when
you work in a team? If so, which ones
do you do?

3. How could you use any of the 10 ways
to work better in a team? Do these ways
only work with team members, or withfriends and family as well?

D4. What do you think you will do differently when you work in a team after
reading this book?
5. Can you think of other ways to work
well in a team?

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Work in a Team

Vocabulary in Context

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1. Cooperate• When these animals cooperate, their job
becomes easier.
• John and Lisa cooperated to finish the job
more quickly.
• They are always arguing. I wish there wasmore cooperation between them.

2. Pride• Sometimes our pride makes us feel better
than others.
• He is the fastest runner on the team, so he isalways full of pride.
• If you are the leader, don’t let your pride stop
you from respecting your team.

D3. Strength(s)• We all have strengths – something we aregood at doing.
• His strength is math. But, he is not good athistory.
• Sarah’s strength in science made her want tobecome a doctor.

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Vocabulary List(Verb) to work together with other people; Cooperation (noun) is team work.

Pride:(Noun) a feeling of value for yourself.

Strength(s):(Noun) a talent or ability; a strong understandingof some area of information.

Solve:(Verb) to find the answer to a problem; Solution(noun) the answer to a difficult question, or theway to find an answer to a problem.

Feedback:(Noun) information that you receive from otherpeople after you have done something. The information tells you how well you did.

Leader:(Noun) the person who makes the decisions in ateam; for example, a principal of a school, or a captain on a sports team.

Blind spot(s):(Noun) an area that you cannot see; an area thatis hidden; an action or habit that causes problems
that we do not notice.

Trust:(Verb/Noun) to believe someone, to think that aperson will do what they say; the feeling that you
can believe a person, or they will keep a promise.

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Cooperate:

Rapport:(Noun) good communication; a strong connection to another person.

Argue:(Verb) showing that you agree or disagree withsomeone’s ideas in an unkind way; to fight by using words.

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