As we begin this new year, I am willing to make a bet. I will bet the best performing DME’s and HME’s almost always are those homecare medical providers that have worked best together as a team.

Achieving great teamwork is not easy. There are many pitfalls that stand in the way. Often it’s inflated egos or poor communication on the part of management. Or maybe it’s even over-communication. Nobody ever said: “I wish I had received more e-mails from the front office.”

Whatever the cause, those organizations that work together as a team are the most likely to reach their goals. It has been my observation that teamwork is especially thwarted when job descriptions are perceived as being more important than personal contributions to the team.

Perhaps the words of Bo Schembechler, Michigan’s famous football coach, best hit the nail on the head. As we head into the holiday college football bowl season many teams are more likely to win if they heed his words of advice. So are DME’s and HME’s:

“We are gong to win as a team. No man is more important than the team. No coach is more important than the team. We are going to believe in one another. We are not going to criticize each other. We are not going to talk about each other. We are going to encourage each other. And you know, if we do this, who it’s going to be again. Michigan! The team, the team, the team.”