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Teamwork, and its close cousin, leadership<\/a>, are highly prized by graduate programs and universities. Haven\u2019t worked in teams on any regular basis? Don\u2019t worry! There are more ways than you may realize to prove your chops in this area. Consider the following 4 options:<\/p>\n Unless you\u2019ve been living alone on an island for the last several years, you have undoubtedly participated in various groups<\/a>. You may have been a member of a sports team or dance troupe, a member of a committee on either a volunteer or workplace basis, helped to organize an event, planned a triathlon, or been a tutor, Big Brother, or Big Sister. In each case, you were working with other people, even if it was only one other person, and had opportunities to display teamwork.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Teamwork and collaboration involve effective listening, so if you can discuss a time when you took the time to listen to others, patiently and skillfully, and explained how doing so eased tensions and increased collaboration, that will demonstrate your teamwork abilities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Talk about the steps you took to improve morale or to motivate. If you helped to generate enthusiasm for a project when enthusiasm was flagging, or brainstormed an idea to strengthen a group or project, that\u2019s also teamwork. If you were a member of a committee and figured out a way for two warring members of the committee to stop fighting and start working together, that would also constitute teamwork. Any time you took the initiative to get involved with other people (especially when they are difficult!) to find a better way to get things done, find a middle ground, brainstorm a new idea, it\u2019s all teamwork.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Effective teamwork can also be shown in very small groups. A client once wrote about her efforts to heal a serious rift in her family after her father passed away and siblings fought for control of the successful family business. An ugly succession fight was underway. The client\u2019s ability to patiently coax cooperation in such an emotionally charged environment, including her \u201cshuttle diplomacy\u201d and active listening among family members, displayed skilled teamwork and leadership. Another client wrote about having organized a trip with a few friends, and how she dealt with a dispute between two of the participants whose bickering threatened to ruin the trip for everyone. Her effective listening, and creatively figuring out an activity that both of the \u201ccombatants\u201d would not be able to resist, helped defuse the situation and save the trip from descending into a hellish situation for everyone. In both these situations, the \u201cteams\u201d were small but the stakes for those involved were high.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n So do not feel stymied when asked for examples of how you have displayed teamwork \u2013 as you now see, you\u2019ve been working in teams more often than you realize!<\/p>\n Our expert admissions advisors can help you identify and write about your teamwork experiences\u2026or any other component of your application. Learn more about our one-on-one Admissions Consulting Services here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Fitting In and Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions<\/a>, a free guide This article<\/a> originally appeared on blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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\n\u2022 \u201cI\u2019m Smart, Really I Am!\u201d Proving Character Traits in Your Essays<\/a>
\n\u2022 4 Qualities Top MBA Programs Seek<\/a><\/p>\n