Pulling Together
“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.”
~Virginia Burden
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
~George Bernard Shaw
THERE ARE THOUSANDS of articles and books on how to build and manage a team – “Do this, don’t do that.” “This works. That won’t work.” Lots of good advice, but none of it is right all of the time for every situation. What will work for every situation, however, is the idea of putting the team first. In his book, Pulling Together, author John J. Murphy describes this concept as “we-opic” versus “me-opic.” Put another way, it’s the more collaborative “What’s in it for we” mentality, versus the popular “What’s in it for me” version so prevalent in today’s society and commerce.
PEOPLE WORK BETTER collaboratively that competitively. To embrace the “team first” rule, Murphy encourages leaders to make sure their team’s purpose and priorities are crystal-clear.
- What is the overall mission?
- What’s the game plan?
- What’s expected of each team member?
- How can each member contribute more effectively?
- What constants will hold the team together?
Open communication? Constantly negative news can cause organizations to cut back on their communication. This inevitably backfires as employees (colleagues, vendors) backfill this communication gap on their own. Rumor mills runs crazy, people disengage, service declines (as do sales). People who know what’s going on can adapt. Without regular meetings, updates, and individual dialogue, teams can quickly dissolve into weak, dependent groups, shifting responsibility and ownership for problems that arise. Don’t keep people in the dark. Empower your team by sharing information openly and often.