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Monday, March 19, 2012

Sticking To It



Building blocks
We are half-way through a discussion about the foundation of relationships.

Number one was: Be Boring

Number two was: Own up and step up

The third basic building block is, TENACITY. "Stick-to-it-tive-ness". I’m not sure there is such a word, but you know what I mean.

There is no “I” in Team
We are a member, a part or portion of a team. That team can be your marriage, family (by any definition), project group at work, club members. The team is anywhere that you don’t function alone, or have full authority.
You see, it’s not a team if it’s only you, or me. If you are doing “all” the work, taking all of the credit or getting all of the benefits, then you are not a member of a team. You are a solo act with a supporting cast.

What makes a team good?
In teams there are at least two members. Good teams, including marriages, are made up of people who tend to be similar in many easy, but exactly alike. They may be dissimilar I strength, talent, temperament, activity level, energy, or knowledge. But they each bring something unique to the table, to the group, to the marriage.
These dissimilarities are good if they are complementary. They are bad if we only use them to compete and dominate other members of our team.

But...
Team members are going to screw up, every now and then. We, you and I, are going to screw up sometimes. Some of these will be minor, and easily fixed or swept aside. Some will be major and difficult or costly to correct. And, it will happen more than once.
If we are a team committed to each other and to the “project,” then we must have ego and heart enough to get past these moments. If we are dedicated to our joint success, then there will be some things we have to live with, some things we will have to overlook in a loving manner, some things we will have to correct in a peacekeeping, and non-confrontational manner.
Or, we can decide that we cannot remain a part of this team.
But here's the thinkg... if you abandon your teams often enough, you will be forced to take a look in the mirror. Sooner or later you may have to accept that you have a hand in things not working out. You might be the problem. 

A Daily Chore
Teamwork is a daily task, not a one-time event. Since we must invest in it as a daily activity, there won’t be a lot of applause or accolades. There will be heartaches and heartbreaks, but we will not shrink from them. There will be glimpses of victory along the way. There will be great and small successes to celebrate together. 

What is the preservation of your team worth? 

What methods do you use to get your team through the “rough” spots?



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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herbrm/5321602808/sizes/z/in/photostream/

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