Team Us
Humans evolved partially due to their ability to make teams. There was strength in numbers. Groups formed to overcome hazards, complete tasks and outgun other teams. The group that saw the bushes rustle and thought it might be something good to eat lost to the group that understood that the bush-rustler was going to eat them. We are descendants of the group that evolved.
Group Think
It’s not always bad news to put your head together with someone else to figure out the best plan. A tribe full of suggestions is going to have a better chance than one lonely soul. The capacity to make better decisions increases the value of the cooperative and decreases the negative side of selfishness. Reliable behavior helps build interdependence and success. Eventually, one or more of the group learns the leadership role too.
My kind of team
As the collective grew and differentiated, kindness had time to bloom. Yes, kindness. Once the group had safety and well-being tackled, goodness entered. Altruistic behaviors sprung up naturally and the goodness spread among the tribe. Dependence isn’t all bad. More success followed as we shared the daily grind and lifted each other.
Your team
Think about your team as those you spend most of your time with. Work colleagues, family members or friends all make up different groups. Reviewing how your teams each work can give you insight into if it is helpful for you or needs some adjustment. If you want your team to increase in ability, don’t let outliers get in the way. Let the independent members who think they can do it without you go solo. If you have natural leaders who don’t get a chance to shine because someone else is keeping them in a shadow, get a bigger spotlight for them. It’s your team; make it work for you.
Why do we allow one person to control a team – for good or bad? What choices are you making that are keeping your team safe but not effective? Do you need to change your position on your team?
