Putting the Team First
In the world today, I think we are getting a good lesson in what it means to put the team above the individual. And I am using team in the broadest sense because with the current situation, the entire world is in it together. So let's talk about teams for just a minute.
What Is a Team
Many may think of a team as a group of individuals working together towards a common objective. I like to think of a team as a group united in purpose and committed to the desired results, objectives, etc. The biggest difference between these two definitions is that lack of the word individual in my definition of a team.
All teams are composed of individuals, but the greatest don't see themselves as individuals, they see themselves as a whole team. A specific team member may have a unique role or responsibility, but their identity is the team not themselves.
Theoretical Example: After an unexpected loss, the striker was interviewed and asked how he thought the game went.
Potential Responses:
1 - Even though we lost, I felt I had a great game and I'm pleased with my performance. My two goals helped it not feel so lopsided and the scouts that were here watching me indicated I had a great game. So I'm happy with how it turned out for me.
2 - Our goal this year is to compete for a state championship. That doesn't change after this loss. We are going to go back as a team and work with the coaches to identify what we can do differently and how we can improve. I am hoping the coaches will have some insight on how we can provide better support for our defense.
Now which of those two responses is more indicative of a team that is united in its goals and objectives? It seems so obvious in these examples but think about how often the first response happens in real life. And it isn't only in sports teams. You see this anytime there is a "competition" for resources, whether those resources are money, time, attention or anything else. It is human nature to default to a “me first” attitude or approach.
The “me first” approach rarely gets the individual or the team where they want to go. Continuing with the sports analogy, how many selfish or hard-to-work with free agents get the best contracts? How many times do we see a superior team (by my definition) defeat a collection of individual superstars?
Lessons for Today
This is completely relevant to the worldwide challenge we are facing right now. How much is fear pushing people into that default “me first” style? Vicious attacks on social media, lack of compassion, people ignoring government instructions and other similar attitudes and behaviors are running rampant. Even normally compassionate people may be struggling to find a balance between taking care of their own families and helping other or at least being considerate of others.
I know there is a fine balance here and I don’t think there are any easy answers. If you are asking yourself the question “how do I help others and not jeopardize my family” then you are probably on the right track. I would also propose that you ask yourself a second question - “what can I do to help the team (your community, town, state, and the world)? The answer to both of these questions will likely be very specific to your individual situation.
Simple Example
Yesterday there was a situation in our community where a family with an infant didn't have any baby wipes. They had been everywhere in town (very small town) and there were none to be found. How should we react in this situation? Blame the parents for poor planning or do we just find a way to help them? I'm proud to say our community found a way to help the and it in no way compromised the families that helped. This is a good example of people putting the good of the team first.
Right now we face a global crisis and it isn't just the virus. The world is filled with fear, distrust, anger and rebellion, just to name a few emotions. It's more important than ever for those that have the ability to look beyond themselves and look for the small ways they can help the global team. Last week in my post on crisis leadership (https://mtneboconsulting.com/leaderblog/crisis-leadership) , I mentioned a few examples like Apple and Zoom. We have also seen athletes stepping up and donating to help support staff that are significantly impacted economically. This week I got an email from the CEO of Freshbooks talking about ways we can support small businesses by buying in advance. Not everyone has those kinds of resources, but many, if not most of us can spare a pack of wipes to help a family in need.
We may hesitate because of fear, concern for our own families, or for a myriad of other valid reasons. That's understandable. We will never get this perfect. But if we all ask ourselves the question each day “what is something small I can do today to help the team” and then follow through on it, we will make it easier for those that are less fortunate to make it through and we will find ourselves better off as well.
Challenge
Find something small you can do today to help someone else. And then tomorrow, try it again and just keep going. What a better team we will be.