2014 Stronger: Teamwork First

 
What if? What if in 2014 we got stronger?

What if you put Teamwork first to achieve business success in 2014?

Each January many folks make New Year resolutions. Resolutions have a foundation in many religions. The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the Medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

At watch night services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. — Andrew Carnegie

There are other religious parallels to this tradition. During Judaism’s New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one’s wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People may act similarly during the Catholic fasting period of Lent, though the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility, in fact the practice of New Year’s resolutions partially came from the Lenten sacrifices. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.

How Teamwork will make your business ‘2014 Stronger’

In the early 90s Kay Kuzma wrote and spoke about traits to make your team strong. Kay shared these ideas:

Teamwork Trait 1: Commitment
The most important trait in strong, happy, healthy teams is commitment. Commitment to put Teamwork first. Commitment to the team—putting the team first—and commitment to each individual on the team in helping him or her become everything he or she can.…With commitment comes the desire to help team members reach their potential. A winning attitude is “I’ll forgo my own immediate gratification to help a team member succeed, because I know the personal joy that I experience when I help another team member.”

Teamwork Trait 2: Appreciation
Do you let your team members know that they are appreciated? Do you give them positive attention?…Strong teams focus on the strengths of each other—not the faults.

If you think your team needs improvement in this area, try serving a compliment at each practice…”I really like the way that you…” “One of the things I like best about you is…” “You make me happy when you…” “You have real talent when it comes to…” “You make me proud when you…”

Teamwork Trait 3: Time Together
Healthy teams enjoy being together. They work together, play together, and enjoy leisure times together. They may be very busy, but they…plan time together.

Teamwork Trait 4: Communication
To understand each other, a team has to be willing to invest the time necessary to share their feelings and opinions. Because you are a product of your experiences, each day you are a new person. Without talking and listening to each other, team members can soon become strangers.

Teamwork Trait 5: Religion
Praying together, as well as, praying for one another are extremely important for a strong, happy team. Worshiping together is a bonding experience.

Teamwork Trait 6: Sense of Humor
Happy teams have fun together; they play together; they laugh together. Having a sense of humor during tense, troublesome moments…defuses the tension and has an immediate calming effect.

Teamwork Trait 7: Share Responsibility
Flexibility is an important trait in strong teams, especially when it comes to sharing responsibility and roles. If team members will do whatever is necessary to meet each other’s needs, even if the task does not happen to be on their list, everyone is happier.

T ogether
E veryone
A ccomplishes
M ore!

Teamwork Trait 8: Common Interests
The more that team members have in common, the more they tend to do together. Having similar interests and developing common goals gives the team something to look forward to, to plan toward, and to experience together.

Teamwork Trait 9: Service to Others
Just as a pond grows stagnant if there is no outlet, so does the team. Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter…agreed that nothing (not even the White House experience) brought them as much joy and satisfaction as they received when pounding nails and painting walls in houses they were volunteering to build for others. Your own problems and worries can become insignificant when seen from the perspective of others who have so much less than you.

Teamwork Trait 10: Seeking Help
Healthy teams are not problem-free; they just admit to problems and get the help they need to solve them! The longer a problem drags on without a solution, the more discouraging team life becomes. Do not allow this to happen.

Put Teamwork First. When you are a big enough person to admit you are not perfect and when you choose to get the help you need, not only will you gain the respect of your team, but you will find that your goal of living “happily ever after” is attainable after all.

Teams make each one of us stronger. Resolutions are important, admitting we can do better. Teams, working together make victories sweeter; defeats have less of a sting. Putting put Teamwork First provide strength to soften any loss.

BELOW: Video – Patrick Lencioni, “Five Dysfunctions Of A Team”

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