Becoming a team

By Shane Woodman, sales trainer
Muncie Power Products

Published in the December 2015 issue of Generation Next Edition. Learn more.


How many times have you heard someone say, “No one else around here does anything”; “I do everything around here”; or “That’s not my job”? Keep in mind, it’s probably an emotional remark said out frustration in the moment. 

I find those remarks to be false. The reason is, we all carry out job responsibilities that tend to go unnoticed. Not unnoticed in a bad way, just a common expectation of our duties. These unnoticed duties are essential for the team/organization to be successful and win. It’s the small things that help lift a team to the next level. 

We aren’t alone

Two heads are better than one, right? This is why we have committees and sub-committees within our organizations. These bring a collaborative effort toward an idea or plan. In order to successfully win as a team, each team member should complete assigned tasks.

Without new ideas, where do you think your company will go? It’ll stay exactly where it is today, especially in this fast-paced world we live in. This is why we have to work as a team and get better at what we do.

What makes a good team?

What makes a good team or team member? Maybe it’s having the best athletes, most highly educated group, or the most working experience. I believe it’s the group that buys into the system that your CEO/manager lays out. You may think your manager is getting on you about the small things, but what he/she’s really doing is following through on the proper system to allow you as an individual and the company to be successful.

This doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything. It just means you should put your ego aside and trust the system. Look at the most successful sports teams/franchises out there: the New England Patriots, San Antonio Spurs and Green Bay Packers. They have a history of success. Is it because they have the best talent? Maybe. Or maybe they have a system in place that allows average players to become great players. As a result, they become great teams. Trust in your organization to turn you into a great employee to help build a successful team.

Adversity

A great team sticks together through adversity. It’s easy to point the finger in tough times, but if you stay away from that, the quicker you’ll return to success. Emotions run high in dire times. Negativity becomes contagious. Great teams will not allow for negativity to bring them down. Work as a team to get out of the rut. Each individual brings a skill to the team that may be untapped. Find those areas in team members can succeed.

Trust

One of the most important elements of a great team is trust. What does trust mean? Trust is the belief that someone or something is reliable, good, honest and effective. Those sound like attributes I would like to have in my team members. When trust has been compromised, it’s often hard to climb back. Earning and maintaining the trust of your team members is vital for not only your success, but for the company’s success as well.

Have you ever seen a group email that started with “Team”? This would be from an individual trying to build a sense of togetherness within a group of individuals. When you feel and act like a team, great things will happen.

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