In the last post we saw the importance of working as a TEAM. Let us dwell further on the concept of a TEAM & try to find the reasons behind dramatic successes of those
working in teams as against those who don’t.
Is it just a coincidence that T.E.A.M. spells as Together Everyone Achieves More? It may very well be, but that doesn’t underscore the fact that not only the abbreviation, but most facets of the word ‘team’ spell success. However even this strong reputation is not able to lead all teams to success. If ‘teams’ are supposed to be the great answer to collective well being, it is a real surprise to see them fail. Let us examine the reasons:
The word team has many definitions. Without getting into the details most of the definitions can be divided into two broad lines of thinking:
1. A team is a group of people with a common goal
2. A team is a group of people working together
It is observed that the group leader normally adheres to the first definition, while the
individuals in the group subscribe to the second definition. Herein lies the catch!
When a group of people have a ‘common goal’, they will work towards achieving the goal. In contrast if a group of people ‘work together’ but do not have a ‘common goal’, they work for the achievement of their own goals, often in conflict with the intended goals of the group.
In hindsight it is only too easy to realise that teams that succeed are made of groups of people who work with a ‘common goal’ as against the teams that fail, which are essentially built of people merely ‘working together’.
This small disconnect between the understanding of the team leader & the perception of his team members about something as simple as the meaning of a word is big enough to cause disaster. More on this later.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The joys of a TEAM
As each goose flaps its wings,
It creates uplift for the birds that follow.
By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds
71% greater flying range than if each flew alone.
Birds don’t need to be taught. Simple creatures with little brains & weak bodies understand that they have to stay together if they want to fight nature. God didn’t give them strength, neither did their fate give them brilliant minds, but they did have common sense. This common sense told them to flock together. It told them that if they form a team & synchronize their actions, they could compete with the mighty wind & WIN. Ever since then, birds have flown together for millions of years, contributing to each other’s strengths.
If an uneducated organism, dwarfed by several handicaps can achieve 71% greater results by simply acting as a cohesive team, will there be any limit to what we, educated & trained Professionals, fully empowered by the strengths of our FORTUNE achieve for us & our company?
Dear friends, we are, without any doubts, a very strong & talented team. Let us become more cohesive & supplement each other’s strengths. Together Everyone Achieves More.
It creates uplift for the birds that follow.
By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds
71% greater flying range than if each flew alone.
Birds don’t need to be taught. Simple creatures with little brains & weak bodies understand that they have to stay together if they want to fight nature. God didn’t give them strength, neither did their fate give them brilliant minds, but they did have common sense. This common sense told them to flock together. It told them that if they form a team & synchronize their actions, they could compete with the mighty wind & WIN. Ever since then, birds have flown together for millions of years, contributing to each other’s strengths.
If an uneducated organism, dwarfed by several handicaps can achieve 71% greater results by simply acting as a cohesive team, will there be any limit to what we, educated & trained Professionals, fully empowered by the strengths of our FORTUNE achieve for us & our company?
Dear friends, we are, without any doubts, a very strong & talented team. Let us become more cohesive & supplement each other’s strengths. Together Everyone Achieves More.
The case for Change
All of us might have heard the following story:
In the pious waters of Yamuna lived 'Kalia' the venomous snake, who had poisined the holy water so much as to render it unusable. The gwallas & gopis, sad at the suffering had none to plead to. By a stroke of luck a ball fell in the river, Lord Krishna went to fetch the ball & ended up subduing Kalia who was happy to get 'Mukti' from a curse.
Fantastic story, heard zillions of times, but needs to be understood again. Consider this:
Kalia was a pious being in his previous birth, who due to some of his bad actions got a curse & was entrapped as the bad soul (demonic snake) in a good world (the river, its banks & the villages). Kalia did not like being bad, but had to be so to maintain the status quo (his position of comfort). He knew he was in a mess & wanted to get out of it (change the status quo) but was prevented from the fear of being devoured by 'Garuda' if he came out of his safe environs (fear of competition). Hence he continued to rule the waters (resisted change) ruining his reputation as well as the well being of his environment (his organisation - the village)
This continued till the advent of Lord Krishna (the change) Garud did not eat up Kalia, who in turn got the much sought for 'Mukti', the river became free of poison, children could play, villagers were happy & a 'Good for all' ensued ever after.
Read through the lines then, 'CHANGE MANAGEMENT' needs to be a recurrent theme of every organisation.
In the pious waters of Yamuna lived 'Kalia' the venomous snake, who had poisined the holy water so much as to render it unusable. The gwallas & gopis, sad at the suffering had none to plead to. By a stroke of luck a ball fell in the river, Lord Krishna went to fetch the ball & ended up subduing Kalia who was happy to get 'Mukti' from a curse.
Fantastic story, heard zillions of times, but needs to be understood again. Consider this:
Kalia was a pious being in his previous birth, who due to some of his bad actions got a curse & was entrapped as the bad soul (demonic snake) in a good world (the river, its banks & the villages). Kalia did not like being bad, but had to be so to maintain the status quo (his position of comfort). He knew he was in a mess & wanted to get out of it (change the status quo) but was prevented from the fear of being devoured by 'Garuda' if he came out of his safe environs (fear of competition). Hence he continued to rule the waters (resisted change) ruining his reputation as well as the well being of his environment (his organisation - the village)
This continued till the advent of Lord Krishna (the change) Garud did not eat up Kalia, who in turn got the much sought for 'Mukti', the river became free of poison, children could play, villagers were happy & a 'Good for all' ensued ever after.
Read through the lines then, 'CHANGE MANAGEMENT' needs to be a recurrent theme of every organisation.
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