“I can do what you cannot, and you can do what I cannot; together, we can do great things.” — Mother Teresa
The year is 2020. And as the world holds its breath in the face of the coronavirus, a remarkable thing is happening behind the scenes.
Businesses pivot from making dresses, pizza, snowboards, helmets, lawn furniture, etc., to making goggles, gloves, sanitizer, and face masks to fill the employment and supply needs.
Communities band together to provide encouragement to essential works, assist the marginalized, feed the hungry, decorate their neighborhoods to entertain children, and demonstrate that when we work together, great things can be achieved even in the most difficult of times.
If you want to make a difference, together is better. It may seem easier to go it alone, knowing, as we do, how complicated and messy human relations can be, but in the end, a team will always take you farther than you could go by yourself.
"We" is More Important Than "Me"
What transforms a group of people into the type of team that could change the world one small corner at a time?
This type of team begins to form when the participants transition their thinking from "What can the group do for me?" to "What can I do for the group?" Unless the members of the team are able to put "we" before "me," change will only be able to go so far.
Who is More Crucial than how
It is our human tendency to think that more is better, even when creating a team of people to join us in our cause (or our business). But teams will only work cohesively if the right people are on them, individuals on the same page, sharing the same values, working for the same cause, and willing to bear with and fight for one another. If not, you will not have unity, alignment, or effectiveness, and you and they will just be frustrated.
“It's not the load that weighs you down; it's the way you carry it.” – Unknown
What Unites is Greater than What Divides
Once you find the right people on your team, don't allow your differences (because there will still be many) to divide you. As John Maxwell says in the book, "What we focus on expands. If we focus on our differences, our differences increase. If we focus on what unites us, then our unity increases."
What You Have is More than What You Lack
What assets do you bring to the team?
When selecting members of your difference-making team, you want to be sure to be aware of what you are bringing to the table and not try to be someone you are not. What you may lack, your team can make up for.
Collaboration is More Valuable than Cooperation
When you compare cooperation with collaboration, cooperation shows itself to be more an act of resignation than unity -- "Let's just get along, or else nothing will get done." But collaboration is the true mark of unity because participants are "intentionally going in the same direction, helping one another to achieve something they all feel is worthwhile. -- 'Let's work together because this has to be done."
This week, consider the following questions:
Do the people on your team have a "we" mindset?
Do the people on your team on the same page, sharing the same values, working for the same cause, and willing to bear with and fight for one another?