The Ethic of Teamwork: Overcoming Barriers and Accepting Other Voices

The Barriers to Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Despite its advantages, teamwork often faces barriers in communication between different specialists.

These difficulties are due, in part, to differences in academic training and the use of a language that is not common to all.

Also influencing are the different levels of status that exist in society and an attitude of professional secrecy on the part of some members.

This lack of fluid communication, loaded with subjectivity, is one of the main obstacles to the success of an interdisciplinary team.

Furthermore, when the members of a team are located in physical spaces that are different, communication becomes even more difficult, generating isolation.

The Danger of Secrecy and Professional Rivalry

Professional secrecy manifests itself when each specialist seeks to defend his or her own discipline, without valuing the contribution made by other professionals.

Often, there is the tendency to believe that our own contribution is the most important and that our voice is the only one that should be heard.

This attitude, which is very common in healthcare teams, can generate great rivalry between the different members.

This disciplinary egocentrism prevents true collaboration and the achievement of a truly comprehensive vision.

The Ethics of Admitting Limitations and Accepting Other Voices

In order to overcome all these barriers, team members must be willing to admit the limitations of their own disciplinary knowledge.

Each professional must accept that the knowledge of other specialists can broaden and enrich the vision they have to achieve the objective.

The ethic of teamwork requires a humility that allows us to value and listen to all voices equally, regardless of the discipline they come from.

It is also important that there is equality of roles within the team and that the co