Have you ever noticed that as a society we seem to praise individuals for their efforts and success? We tend to give all the credit for a job well done to one person, whether that is for starting a new company or having a winning football team.
Why is this? Could it be that as humans we do not think of ourselves as team players and we don’t naturally play well on teams? Or maybe it is that we are so ego driven that we like one person to be recognized so that we can project ourselves into the same position.
What ever it is, I can assure you of one thing. Nothing of great importance or anything that has ever been created has been done without a team.
“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Vince Lombardi
Take a breath and think about this for a minute.
My Mother likes to say, “There is no ‘I’ in ‘We.’” The truth of the matter is that it has taken me some time to figure this out and I am still learning how it works in my life.
The question is, “Are you a team player?” If not, then you are not reaching your full potential and supporting others to reach theirs.
What do you want to create in your life? Whatever it is you will need a team. More importantly, you will need to have your team buy into your dream and then work together with you to make it a reality. This is no small task.
Everything I have achieved in my life has been built on the back of a team. Everything Bill Gates has built in his life has been built on the back of a team. Everything any President has achieved has been built by teams of people. No one in history has accomplished anything of importance without a team.
Every single What Box? that is published takes a team. Alice Fenton supports improving the first draft; Kristen Bergman helps edit the updated version; Mike Williams takes our work and formats it so it fits into the pages you are reading now; and finally, Brad Vernon takes the final product and uploads it to the www.whatbox.info Webpage. I could not write or publish my writings if it were not for a team of people helping me to support the creation of a quality product.
Being a team player and working with a team will enable you to transform your visions and dreams into reality.
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Andrew Carnegie
Whenever I am engaged in taking on a client project, or when I am working to start-up a new start-up, I focus on identifying who is going to be on the team. Here are some of the things I think about as I select members of a team, and the qualities that I look for in good team players .
Identify Team Needs
What type of team players are you in need of to move your endeavor forward? Do you need financial specialists, government specialists, strategic thinkers, connectors, marketers, or technology people? You have to know who you need to help move the endeavor from an idea to reality. Make a list of the type of talent you need as a first step.
Start with Friends and Family
When starting to build your team, look towards your friends and family first. These are the people who have the closet connection to you. Over the years I have built so many teams that I have my friends and family team built in and can start-up any type of endeavor with just a few calls. Who in your friends and family network are ready to be part of a team?
Create a Structure and Clear Roles
Nothing is more likely to kill a team then lack of a clear structure and well-defined roles. Everyone needs to know what is expected of them, including time commitments, expectations, and what they are being asked to do. Make sure that team members agree to the structure and the role that they will be playing. Once you have agreement, things will run much more smoothly and the individuals will work together as a team.
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” Henry Ford
Always be Grateful for Team Support
Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done. Make sure to thank those supporting you often and with sincerity. This can make a huge difference. It just takes an email or a pat on the back saying, “Hey, I appreciate you and all your efforts.” Take the time to be grateful and don’t take your team for granted.
This is a short list of ways to start building a team. There are many more ideas on team building. Take some time to search the Internet for more.
Being at team player starts with you. No one can do it for you.
Where do you want to go? To get there, start by building a team and the sky becomes the limit.
“Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.” Brian Tracy
Let me know what you think.
Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create yourself.
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