I’ve observed a number of things over this past week. One thing that stood out to me is the immeasurable power of teams and how effective they are when they work well together. Inside the work environment I see teams producing at a high level while concentrating on a common goal. I sit at home in the evening and watch the Golden State Warriors as they masterfully display the power of teamwork. The way they work together is astounding. Their ability to feed off each other, to know where each of them is and to know where they are all moving to… is team work at its best.
I’m certainly not a loner at heart, but I really prefer doing things by myself, on my own schedule, the way I would like to do them… Control issues… I know. But most of the time, that approach doesn’t work particularly well.
As great as I may be, (smiley face) I’m not omnipotent or omniscient.
That means:
1. I make errors in judgment from time to time
2. I can’t adjust time or space in order to make it do what I want
3. I’m only one person
In many things I do, I can make a greater impact as a member of a team.
I saw a great example of effective teamwork last night while watching a hockey game. Not during the game, but during a commercial for Budweiser. I just love to see the team of Clydesdale horses pull that wagon. They are a great example of what a team should be – a group of individuals, all pulling for a common goal.
You see, in too many companies, a team is usually just a group of individuals. If we were to analyze the members of many teams, we’d find several people jockeying for recognition, a few people who don’t do a darn thing, one who may believe themselves superior to others not realizing they have zero respect from their peers, several who are attempting to steal attention from others, the proclaiming leader who may not be leading anything at all, a few gossips, a mole quick to deliver every detail in an effort to gain appreciation, and, if you’re lucky, a group of people who actually do all of the work.
If we compare this example of a badly-working team to our beer commercial, we can see a real problem – of all the horses hooked up to the beer wagon, only a couple of them are really pulling – the rest may be going along for the ride, but the wagon isn’t going anywhere – or at least it’s taking a long time to get there.
Unfortunately, this is all too common for most teams – and it’s the underlying reason why in many companies, individual effort still gets more done than any team.
Let me get this next point straight: I’m not attempting to discount the importance of individual effort. Many great advances in history have been due to the influence of one great individual, many times acting alone. This is certainly true in the independent contractor environment of real estate.
As great and effective as one may be, teams can be far more effective.
An architect may conceive a building, but teams build the building. A company may have a great leader, but teams put that leader’s vision into action. An author may write a great book, but a team will edit, publish and market that book. A composer may write a great symphony – but the symphony will not live until played by a team of musicians (or nowadays, by a piece of software).
The best teams, then, are this:
1. A leader with a vision.
2. A team united with a common goal.
3. A team that pulls together to achieve that goal.
You’ve probably heard me say many times, “You are never any better than the people you surround yourself with. Surround yourself with great people, then you too will be great.”
If you are feeling alone in life or in business, look around you. There are many people who would love to share your success and be a part of your team… In life and in business!
Have a great weekend!
TERRY Talks 