Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Teamwork

Most of our clients involve a team to both create and market their titles. Even some of our individual authors recruit others to assist in the process. Granted, the committee structures of non-profits greatly enhance the need for great teamwork. And yet in our society too many individuals have a "me" first attitude.

I read an interesting blog article from my friend Mike Weber (Breaking the Unwritten Rules) which I think you might enjoy. It is relevant to the subject of "Teamwork". One great lesson I learned early on in business is "it is amazing what can be accomplished when no one individual is worried about who gets the credit".

Following is Mike Weber's article:

Some unwritten rules are universal. They transcend culture, age and demographics. The Rule of ME is the best example of such a rule.

As children grow they think the world revolves around them. A newborn infant has few concerns: Feed me, hold me, change my diaper. A two year old’s universe is pretty small. It starts with “me” and proceeds to “my” and “mine”. Just watch them “sharing” their toys and you’ll know what I mean. Even in the teenage years it is common for a young man or women to be totally self-absorbed. Let’s talk about “my rights”, “my problems”, “my allowance” and even “my life”. The sad part is that this rule then gets extended to adulthood and the result is an employee, friend, neighbor or team member who, through action or word, says this: “It’s all about me!”

Reality is this: It’s not really about me, it’s about us. We live in community and work in community. Businesses that succeed are often collaborative and team-based. Communities that thrive are ones where we work together for the common good.


We talk about working together, but the reality is that we aren’t very good at it. That’s why, when we see an unselfish sports player, we declare how great he is. When a team works together, we call them unusual. When an individual decides to sacrifice time, money or life for the good of another, we call them a hero. In all three cases, they’ve simply broken the Unwritten Rule of Me. They’ve decided that it’s not about them. It’s about the success of the group or team. It’s about putting some one else first and investing in the lives of others.


Here then is then challenge: Break the Unwritten Rule of Me!


When you have the opportunity to work with others, try these simple ideas:


  1. Find common purpose.
  2. Talk about the purpose and dwell on it.
  3. Listen more than you talk.
  4. Recognize the commonalities among the members of the group.
  5. Remember that the outcome is more important than who gets the glory.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

Thanks to Mike Weber for sharing this "pearl". Perhaps if you are a committee chair or even a committee member this advice will make you a better team player and lead to success for your endeavor.

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