Self Improvement

"There is no "I" in team".... we have all heard this many times. After every great team sport event at least one interviewee will say, "there is no "I" in team" along with "we all gave 110 percent" and "hi mom", but those are other subjects.

So, no "I" in team... other than the spelling of the word, that couldn't be further from the truth. A team is the culmination of individuals working together towards a common goal. Each individual is an "I" and brings specific talents, gifts and ideas to the team.

When we ask the team to be "one", we are asking each team member to be like all the others. That only gets us a semblance of a herd of cattle following each other around all day. How much progress will the team actually make during the day if each person is just like all the others, with the same thoughts and ideas? When the team is a group of like minded people, a scenario is created where insanity prevails, doing or thinking the same thing over and over expecting different results. Under these circumstances, a situation is actually created in which the team members become numb to any enthusiasm for their work and progress comes to a halt or moves backwards.

Allowing the "I" to come out and play does not guarantee success. While the odds of success increase dramatically, there are a few obstacles that will present themselves. If not tended to the obstacles can destroy the team's goals, the team itself and, in some corporate cases, the entire company. Examples of potentially damaging scenarios are:

? Internal Competition: "I" becomes a problem when one or more people on the team attempts to out-shine or control the others. The ego takes over and the "I" becomes a selfish desire as opposed to the sharing individual talents. When competition inside the team erupts, the goal shifts from one common goal to several individual ones. The creativity gives way to personal agendas and the progress grinds to a halt. Competition among products and services is healthy, however, when it occurs between teammates it is damaging.
? Judgments towards team members and their ideas. Judgments will shut down the creative process faster than nearly any other action as it creates a "not good enough" feeling inside the person who was judged.
? Over-Controlling Leadership: It is wise to have an accountability system in place to help keep things on track. In many cases it makes since to have team leadership. This leadership has two responsibilities. Keep the team on track towards the goals and stay out of the way of the creative process. When the title of leader is placed upon someone, the first instinct is to prove worthy of that leadership title; take control and show everyone they deserve it. Leaders must be careful to not burden the creative process with unnecessary rules and limitations. Obviously, many corporations have some rules which must be taken into consideration; however, make sure you do not fall into the trap of adding new rules because it seems like the "right" thing to do. We are a society full of rules and we tend to make rules even when none are needed or warranted.

The most powerful teams are those who can take the ego (self) out of the equation and let the authentic "I's" take over. This leads to the delivery of efficient, productive and creative results. Keep competition aimed towards the true target, create an open team environment free from stifling rules and let go of limitations on the individuals' creative process in order to unleash the power within the team. The team as a whole must honor and utilize the beneficial aspects of each individual.

Create a non-judgmental atmosphere for the team to grow and explore new ideas. The team benefits from every idea, even those that appear to have no chance of working towards the ultimate goal. Even these ideas offer answers and/or insight. These ideas will often become the foundation for the ultimate idea or may be built upon and used in some way to keep the creative process in full swing.

Everyone has something to offer and the key is to draw that out. Inspire others to let their light shine and creativity flow. Allow everyone to be fully individual and tap into their own genius. Allow curiosity a place in the process. It will become a guiding principle for the team. The team will find they accomplish much more, climb larger hurdles and have more fun than expected during the process.

The "I" is a powerful force and easily will be a valuable resource for positive movement towards the team's goals and missions.

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Kenny Brixey