When you think of a problem solver, do you think of one person or many? It might seem like great discoveries are made alone, but most solutions are found by working as a team. Have you ever heard the expression “teamwork makes the dream work”? It’s true in sports, science, art, and life.

Maybe you’ve heard of Sir Edmund Hilary, the first person to climb Mount Everest. He couldn’t have made the difficult trek without the help of a Nepali-Indian Sherpa Mountaineer, Tenzing Norgay. The worked together to solve the problems they encountered during the climb. They combined their skills and knowledge to reach the top.

What about Steve Jobs? He created Apple computers. But he couldn’t have done it without his friend and business partner, Steve Wozniak. And they couldn’t have done it together without the computer pioneers who came before them. Advances in science and technology are built on previous discoveries.

Problem solving teams occur in fiction too. Sherlock Holmes was a famous detective in mystery stories. But he couldn’t have solved all those mysteries without the help of his friend Dr. Watson. And what about Batman and Robin? Or the Avengers? Having lots of different talents in a team makes it stronger.

Everyone knows that a basketball team has to work together to win. But what about a tennis player? Even though they are playing alone on the court, the tennis player is surrounded by a team, too. Their coach, trainer, practice partners, and fans, all helped them get ahead.

So, the next time you have to choose a teammate in P.E. or work as a group in English class, remember that problems are best solved together!