Everyone needs a team. Life is simply too complicated to go it alone all the time. Yes, there may be times when going it alone is the right thing to do, but mostly it's good to have a team or a few teams to support good living, challenge you in positive ways, and make life meaningful.
People will choose different kinds of teams, and it's likely that the teams that matter most may change from decade to decade. For example, it is not uncommon for students at high school or college to choose their school friends as their most important team. Young adults often have teams of other young adults who are beginning their lives together, and families often embrace their family members as their most important team.
What does it take to nurture, love, and care for your team?
Compassion
First of all, it's essential to have compassion. People on your chosen team will err--they'll make mistakes, not live up to your expectations, and create havoc at times. No team is perfect and it's critical that we are compassionate, loving, and understanding when it comes to our team members.
Support
Next, it's necessary to be supportive of one another in ways that help each other. This is not always easy because some kinds of help are really helpful and other kinds of help, not so helpful. So how do you choose? That leads to the next required area--communication.
Communication
When you stay in close contact with team members, you know them well, and when you know them well, it's much easier to know how to be helpful, what you can do to support them well. There are many ways to stay close. One is to schedule regular events. For young families that might be movie night, regular family dinners, or Sunday hikes, and for teams of friends it may be monthly dinner such as FAT Night (Food Appreciation Night) so nicely depicted on the Australian show, Wonderland. Distance means that communication needs to be virtual via tech or even hand written letters. Whatever regular routine you choose, communication is vital to positive teaming.
Sacrifice
Loving and caring well for your team often requires sacrifice too. Sacrifice is something most people don't like to think a lot about because it's not easy. But, if you really care about your team, you'll probably sacrifice your time, money, choices, and the things you own to support the team. Only sacrifice done with love and care works--sacrifice that results in martyrdom, anguish, and regret is not helpful and serves to break up teams instead.
Individuals
Sometimes individuals get lost in teams. It is important to take time to think about the individuals in the teams you choose--who are those individuals, what do they need, how can you team well with each member of the team. If you see a team just as a group, your connections may not be as strong as if you think about what makes the individuals on that team thrive.
Make Memories Together
Shared events generally strengthen teams more than lots of talk. Engaging in a shared adventure, trip, game, challenge, or service work builds a team's strength more than lots and lots of words.
So, as 2020 begins, it's important to take some time to think about what teams you choose to nurture, love, support, and make memories with. How will you be a loving, positive, vital member of that team--what will you do to support the people on your chosen teams?
Happy New Year! Happy Teaming!
People will choose different kinds of teams, and it's likely that the teams that matter most may change from decade to decade. For example, it is not uncommon for students at high school or college to choose their school friends as their most important team. Young adults often have teams of other young adults who are beginning their lives together, and families often embrace their family members as their most important team.
What does it take to nurture, love, and care for your team?
Compassion
First of all, it's essential to have compassion. People on your chosen team will err--they'll make mistakes, not live up to your expectations, and create havoc at times. No team is perfect and it's critical that we are compassionate, loving, and understanding when it comes to our team members.
Support
Next, it's necessary to be supportive of one another in ways that help each other. This is not always easy because some kinds of help are really helpful and other kinds of help, not so helpful. So how do you choose? That leads to the next required area--communication.
Communication
When you stay in close contact with team members, you know them well, and when you know them well, it's much easier to know how to be helpful, what you can do to support them well. There are many ways to stay close. One is to schedule regular events. For young families that might be movie night, regular family dinners, or Sunday hikes, and for teams of friends it may be monthly dinner such as FAT Night (Food Appreciation Night) so nicely depicted on the Australian show, Wonderland. Distance means that communication needs to be virtual via tech or even hand written letters. Whatever regular routine you choose, communication is vital to positive teaming.
Sacrifice
Loving and caring well for your team often requires sacrifice too. Sacrifice is something most people don't like to think a lot about because it's not easy. But, if you really care about your team, you'll probably sacrifice your time, money, choices, and the things you own to support the team. Only sacrifice done with love and care works--sacrifice that results in martyrdom, anguish, and regret is not helpful and serves to break up teams instead.
Individuals
Sometimes individuals get lost in teams. It is important to take time to think about the individuals in the teams you choose--who are those individuals, what do they need, how can you team well with each member of the team. If you see a team just as a group, your connections may not be as strong as if you think about what makes the individuals on that team thrive.
Make Memories Together
Shared events generally strengthen teams more than lots of talk. Engaging in a shared adventure, trip, game, challenge, or service work builds a team's strength more than lots and lots of words.
So, as 2020 begins, it's important to take some time to think about what teams you choose to nurture, love, support, and make memories with. How will you be a loving, positive, vital member of that team--what will you do to support the people on your chosen teams?
Happy New Year! Happy Teaming!