Give Thanks~Feel Joyful Week 26- Teamwork

I GIVE THANKS FOR TEAMWORK

‘No man is an island,’ one of my favourite quotes and once given as a definition of communication by a fellow student during our management unit. The tutor disregarded this attempt to define communication preferring traditional phrases however I saw this as inspired, going to the crux of the matter. We were born into a pack as part of the human race and are not designed for total self-sufficiency. Yes if you live alone on an island your time would be taken up with survival but the real world is highly complex, utilizing multiple talents and skills across entire spans of mental and physical ability.

I went to my niece’s wedding on Friday, a wonderful event and thinking about it, without a team this could not have happened. So many people played a part- those behind each aspect of organisation and actualisation including venues to participants: enter the Reverend whose role was vital! A team of staff prepared and served the food, another team- a band of musicians played music for the barn dance and so on.

Teams have different foundations being formed for their own unique purpose. Weddings are typical of a ‘cross-over team,’ being directed by a team of family and friends that rely on external teams to complete the project. Many teams operate in this way accessing the skills required to achieve the best result.

Returning to marriage, a new ‘team’ of two has been ordained to steer its way through life and these mini teams are the basis of family life and society. Whether married or not, once created, personal alliances face many decisions that start shaping the way for future generations. A happy, committed team of two will spread its influence far and wide from school fetes into their working life and beyond. There are many huge influential teams that literally shape the world we live in from parliaments to charities.

Have you ever thought about how many teams you are involved with?
There are different types of teams. If you’re on Facebook or other internet websites you may become a part of many online teams. Social commentators do influence society creating ‘trends.’ A strange way to think about teams but true! Whose teams do you want to be associated with? We hear a great deal about people blocking others on the net; a common practice which arises from disagreements or strong differences of opinions. Personally, I support posts in-line with my thinking as I am on ‘Team Positive.’

The same theory works in daily life. People can choose which conversations they wish to engage in and when to walk away. It’s easy to become part of a team that spread negative opinions and possibly run other people down- be they colleagues or your ex best friend! Looking for the good in situations and people helps strengthen a team and will encourage productive results.

How do you contribute to the teams you’re involved with?
This leads on nicely to team ethics. Teams should have common goals and the type of goals will affect how a team operates. Sporting teams have very clear goals- to constantly improve performance and win the gold! Sporting teams incorporate coaches, physio’s, psychologists, staff at venues, sponsor’s camera crews, supporters and more. Other teams involved in the venture have different goals suited to their business, or beliefs, however all involved are rooting for the sporting team to win, this outcome impacting on them in a positive way. 

Compare this scenario to a group of friends. Friendships are a different type of team work evolving around common aims of individual needs and support. Friends ensure Birthday’s don’t go unnoticed, that people receive assistance in times of needs, they share fun experiences and keep morale high- basically creating a good quality of life.

Having briefly considered teams, maybe now is a great opportunity to look at the teams in your life and evaluate which teams work for you, how you are contributing and whether there are any changes you could make to improve your team experiences.

Jaz McKenzie
Professional writer/word magician! Contact me and we'll add a little spice to your image- includes CV’s, Bio’s, Press releases, Reviews, Website content, Blogs, Business communications and more: itsbraap@live.co.uk



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