Teamwork

By Nicky King

Through many years of experience working for large and small companies, being faced with challenging deadlines seems to be a constant. We have all been in situations that have been overwhelming when we feel like we are alone and must do whatever it takes to get the job done. How many of us have spent countless hours working through the night to ensure deliverables are completed on time? Even in our personal lives, how many times have we said that “there never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything”? We all lead busy lives! We must constantly make choices between priorities and use time wisely and efficiently if we are going to survive. Every day we hit the ground running to check off our to-do lists, fall asleep and start again the next day. Overwhelming at times, but there is hope. It is called teamwork!

Many have heard the quote by John C. Maxwell, “Teamwork makes the dream work,” but may have never heard the second part “but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team.” I may not understand all the ramifications of a “bad team”, but we can hopefully agree that a team working together accomplishes much more than individuals trying to accomplish multiple tasks on their own. At this point, my mind is racing in several directions to determine what else should be written on this enormous subject in such a short blog. For now, let’s focus on one area of how we can personally encourage teamwork. We need to be looking to meet needs. These needs may be outside of our qualifications and comfort zone, but a willingness to jump in, learn and lessen the burden on others is all it takes.

I have been honored to work with many of these kinds of people throughout my career. Their commitment to teamwork has been incredibly encouraging to me. They are the ones that overhear a conversation and ask, “how can I help?” They are ones that are willing to jump in with both feet to help lessen the load. They are leaders and the example I want to be to others. It starts with my willingness to notice and meet needs. It begins with teamwork!