Balancing act: Teamwork is challenging — on the field or in the office

Newsroom arguments are fairly common in the world of journalism, which seems to attract people who have strong opinions and a willingness to express them. However, reporters and editors generally don't take arguments personally ... at least, not for long. And many times, the "verbal confrontations" I saw or participated in led to new ideas and a better result than would have been achieved if everyone involved would have kept quiet and seethed.

Obviously arguments have the potential to cross a line, and physical confrontations should never occur at work. I also see how playing the "blame game" or spreading rumors could poison an office environment and make people long for the peace and quiet of a solo job.

But even considering such potential challenges of teams, I still prefer working with others to working alone. There's nothing better than pulling together with a group of people to overcome obstacles and achieve something bigger and more significant than you could have done on your own.

Such team accomplishments really do feel almost like a victory in a sporting event. Maybe they don't rise to the level of winning the Super Bowl, but at least you're unlikely to run the risk of getting flattened by a 320-pound lineman when you're sitting in your cubicle.

Frankly, that's a trade-off I'm more than willing to make.

Email your comments to kratzbalancingact@gmail.com or post them online at deseretnews.com. Follow me on Twitter at gkratzbalancing or on Facebook on my journalist page.