We’ve all heard the saying – “There is no I in teams”… and we kind of know what that means. Get your ego out of it.
But, given that teams are, by definition, groups of individuals working towards a collective goal or objective, how can you remove the I out of that? Communication, Decision Making, Execution – each (I)ndividual must do their part to make the entire system work.
Without a collection of “I”(s) there is no team.
You don’t need a big group to make a team, either. A team of two is still a team – marriages, family, friend groups, book clubs. Each group requires members to communicate, decide and execute their part to make the collective action work.
A marriage only works when both members are working toward the same goals. A community only works when everyone does their part for the collective. A soccer team with only five engaged players will never beat a team playing with all eleven.
So, how are you functioning as the “I” in your teams? Are you communicating well? Making good decisions and executing consistently? Or, are you inconsistent? Untrustworthy? Unreliable?
How would you know? (if you have to ask, you may already have your answer. You should know.)
What do you hear from your teammates? If your conversations are frequently about poor communication, or poor follow through or not making good decisions, it may mean that you are not doing your part. If you feel like you’re always saying that to the people around you, maybe you need to rethink what teams you’re on.
Let’s put the “I” back in TEAM. Be accountable to yours!
When everyone does their part, everyone plays and wins together.