I’ve been thinking a lot recently about teamwork. What’s it really mean? How does a team of people come together to become highly functioning? Two experiences this week sparked me to write this blog as I continue thinking about it and how it pertains to my daily work with great clients throughout central Indiana.
1) Strengths complement strengths: My son just started his freshman year of college. He’s at a very small engineering school in Indiana that focuses on academics, yes, but also leadership skills. Last night he was telling me about orientation week. During one activity, dorm floor teams had a race. Sounds fun, right? He didn’t tell me about the part where he and others raced and cheered. Instead he told me about how he and his roommate stood at a wall that his teammates were supposed to go over. He and the roomie helped each person to success over the wall. Wise choice from two just-starting-out college freshman. Why them? First they’re football players–strong guys. Second, they know the value of team work after years on the football field. While I thought wow, I’m so proud, it’s occurred to me what they did is second nature–help your teammate by using your strength, literally. How have you helped a teammate today, or better yet, let a teammate help you? Sometimes the latter is harder since we have to step back and recognize someone else is better at something.
2) Please and thank you: Last week I sat through a client meeting that focused on culture and mood. Basically it was about how we treat each other in the workplace. Are you happy to see people? How do you greet each other? Are you curious and appreciative? Or do you get defensive when someone questions you and your work? Saying please, thank you and how are you today are the easiest tasks of anyone’s day, yet it often doesn’t happen enough. Have you thanked someone today? It could make their day.
During the course of the business day, we can often forget that helping a teammate, trusting a teammate can actually help us saying thanks with a smile is the first step to develop a highly functioning team. Our team says we act as an extension of our client’s internal staff. We’re part of your team. And we mean it. We bring strength to your team to complement your organization. And when we’re invited in, we appreciate the relationship as we learn, grow and deliver together–as a highly functioning team.