Working with a group of people allows individuals to come together to express a common interest and strive toward a common goal. Frequently, working in collaborative fashion requires more in-depth and complex social skills than does working individually. Working in a group requires an individual to put aside their single motivations in order to combine together with the rest of the team to reach the demands and expectations of the group. The skills required to be effective team members are evidently instilled in the youth of today at an early age. As early as grade school, students are encouraged to work in teams to learn the necessary tactics of being a cooperative group member. These students are taught a preemptive notion of the definition of teamwork in the old saying, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest length.” Society has taught us that working in a group requires special skills and knowledge that each person needs to acquire to become a responsible adult. Within the workplace individuals will be able to apply the skills they have acquired in order to succeed as a productive team member. The working world is the most obvious illustration of individuals combining their skills to achieve a common objective. Collabor
ations are also prominent in the theatrical world. It is only through the effort of all those involved in the making of a performance, that it is possible. Each team member has separate goals to complete while simultaneously working for the same end performance. Thirdly, a group’s effort is also witnessed in the sports world when individual players group together for a team “win”. It is evident that collaborative processes abound in today’s society. In order to be an effective team member, one must be able to fulfill their separate duties in order to accomplish the common goal of the group. Many aspects of today’s society requires that individuals acquire the specific abilities to work successfully with others. A distinct collaborative process that I have found myself involved in is the sport of cheerleading. In my group words like staging, blocking and dress rehearsals are replaced with stunting, cheering, and tumbling. I became a cheerleader when I was a junior in high school. I was quickly taught that cheerleading was a noteworthy sport just like baseball and basketball. Each squad member had their own outstanding talents that combined together to perform in front of the crowd during athletic events. The collaborative process involved working through strenuous practices that demand a lot both mentally and physically. Cheerleading is one of the few sports that involve the risk of falling from great heights. The team has to learn to work together and trust each other’s ability to accomplish the stunt being attempted. The culmination of the team’s effort was debuted during the regional and national cheerleading championships. All of the working season was spent perfecting a three-minute, high impact routine to be performed in the state competition. A cheerleading squad definitely follows the rule of thumb that the squad was only as strong as its weak