What makes teams work

A Chinese scholar was lecturing when all the lights in the auditorium went out. He asked members of the audience to raise their hands. As soon as they had all complied, the lights went on again. He then said, “Proven wisdom of Old Chinese ‘Many hands make light work.’” This is the power of teamwork.

One of us is not as strong as all of us. The firefighter holding the ladder is as important as the firefighter holding the hose.

Have you ever wondered why certain teams could not function? Have you ever found yourself totally frustrated with the people you work with, and you just can’t find yourself making any progress in meeting your business objectives?

One thing you and I need to remember is this: IF YOU CANNOT WORK AS A TEAM, YOU ARE ONLY A GROUP.

Dr. John Maxwell says, “It takes team work to make the dream work.” And then he follows it up with this thought, “The level of your team should be equal to the level of your dream.”

In a scene from the movie Ben Hur, Judah Ben Hur was trying to get a team of horses to pull a chariot. They were magnificent, high-spirited animals, yet they were merely pawing the ground, balking at his commands, and scarcely moving the chariot despite his strong voice and the constant cracking of his whip. An old horse trainer approached them and instantly put his finger on the problem. He told young Judah Ben Hur, “They are not pulling together as a team!” The old man adjusted the rig, carefully aligned the horses, and climbed into the chariot. He cracked his whip, and instantly, the four horses started as one. Around the track they went at breathtaking speed. As he handed the reins back to Judah, the old man said, “They are beautiful babies, but you must make them work together as a team.”

Trust lies at the heart of a functioning, cohesive team. Without it, teamwork is impossible. The kind of trust that is characteristic of a great team requires team members to make themselves vulnerable to one another and to be confident that their respective vulnerabilities will not be used against them. These vulnerabilities include weaknesses, skill deficiencies, inter-personal shortcomings, mistakes and requests for help.

Now let me point out one important thing: The leader of the team is the key to making this work.

The most important action that a leader must take to encourage the building of trust on a team is to demonstrate vulnerability first. This requires that the leader risk losing face in front of the team so that subordinates will take the same risk themselves. Team leaders must create an environment that doesn’t punish vulnerability.

Some leaders would never admit their mistakes, and would just put the blame on everyone and everything except themselves. This is because of the old antiquated thinking that has perverted the ranks of leaders: that admission of being wrong and mistaken is a sign of weakness. This is so untrue. The truth is that, it takes a lot of courage, honor and character for the leader to admit his or her mistake. And this kind of admission creates a culture of honesty and transparency within the team. The authenticity on the part of the leader would for sure trickle down to the team members.

In my seminars, I remind people that team members are more than willing to forgive us for our mistakes as long as we are honest enough to admit them and rectify the mistakes. What people would not forgive are leaders who pretend to be perfect.

Anyone who thinks he or she is, should be crucified on the cross. For no one else but Jesus Christ is Perfect.

(Spend two whole days with Francis Kong developing your leadership skills this March 28-29 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel! For further inquiries, contact Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. at 632-6872614 or 09178511115.)