There’s no I in TEAM – but should there be?
We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘there’s no I in team’. Often used to remind team members that they have to work together and not be selfish, this saying is one that’s rolled out time and time again.
Of course working together as a team is important. But if you don’t know the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals within the team, and where the different roles start and finish, you’re never going to be able to reach maximum performance. After all a team isn’t a single entity but a combination of various different individual entities; all with their own skills, attributes and talents to contribute.
Which leads us to the question – should there be an I in team?
We recently undertook a team profiling project with a client that had quite a profound impact on performance. The process was fascinating and it was amazing to see how extracting themselves from the business and viewing the team from a different perspective really helped to clarify the direction that needed to be taken – and the improvements and results that came out of it.
So what were the takeaways from the session that others can apply to their businesses? I’ll summarise using the three ‘i’s…
Individuals
What are the strengths and weaknesses of individuals in the team and are people placed in the right roles as per these?
Influence
Are the individuals in the team working cohesively? What are the good influences in the business and where are the bad coming from?
If the business had a voice…
What would it say? If you view the business as a live entity with feelings and a voice rather than an inanimate object, it can quickly be much more obvious what is required in order to see improvement.
So in fact there isn’t an ‘i’ in team – there are three!
If your business is going through a period of change and you need help in agreeing the right way forward, we can help. For more information or to find out more about how we work with businesses, contact us here.
Photo credit: Keith Johnson, Unsplash
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