Many years ago, when I was working in an electronics manufacturing company, I was able to move up the hierarchical ladder to a management / leadership position with the title of division manager, which allowed me to gain experience in both management positions and positions. of leadership.
With those positions I had the responsibility of several different managerial positions that were assigned to me.
These responsibilities gave me reason to assemble and assemble what we call our management “Team”, analyzing our various functional responsibilities that made up our organization and addressing how together we could identify and achieve specific challenges and / or goals that could only be achieved by working together as a team.
In my work associations with many of my colleagues and even with my leader’s people, whom I reported, I never really appreciated the casual comments and innuendo that were sometimes made in reference, like in my division or my organization, or did I do this. . Either that, or this person works for me, or any comment that has an identity of its own or personal gratification as to how things were accomplished.
It was common practice for most managers to do that, especially in front of a corporate audience, but I often wondered how their subordinates felt when they heard those comments.
I know that most of them never had any negative intention towards their people; it was more habit and ego showing himself than anything else.
Well, that was a habit that I wanted our team to avoid as much as possible, so we made an effort to remind everyone on our team that there is no letter “I” in the word team.
He constantly told our people that we are a team, an us, a group, that we work together as a team.
Whenever one of our staff used the word “I” or “my” in an image of myself or a reflection of property, I would stare at them and usually hold two fingers to my forehead giving the plural sign more than one, which did get some smiles, but it also brought with it some quick clarifications.
Over time, we were able to be more consistent in showing some consideration and respect for the efforts and contributions of the many others who made up our team, especially our total organizational team.
In the course of working together throughout the year, we would have our annual personal performance reviews on the way, meeting one on one to talk about how they were able to achieve some functional goals with their specific responsibilities, but also how they were getting there. along with some of your own personal development and learning goals.
The interviews were very open and casual and were important in understanding their problems and obstacles. and asking how we could help them with some of the career goals they were working towards.
It was after one of these sessions when a personal interview had just finished, that the person had made outstanding progress in earning their master’s degree in human sciences, allowing them to build their relationships with their peers and with their team members. , which was one of its strong points. This was a person whose functional organization showed confidence and the ability to go beyond some of their pre-set goals and challenges.
Reflecting on this later, I realized that his Self, his team, as well as our team were getting better and better and better, so there did have to be a letter “I” in the word team, as their progress was reflected himself. in the overall performance of the total organization.
So as the “I’s” improved, the team performed better as well. Obviously the reverse was also true, if a team member fell behind in some way or manner, it would be reflected in the team’s performance, unless compensated by someone or a group taking over.
By rethinking the use of the word “I”, I am suggesting that we develop an abundance mindset, that there are enough good things happening around us and within us that we need to share the positive results, there is room for everyone to participate to achieve some recognition, mainly because everyone was involved in some way.
Sure there are those who have a little more skill, but they may not work as hard as others, and that’s why we call it a team too.
By thinking much more about this topic, I decided to see if there was a chronological order of how a “me” or a “me” could develop an idea of how to approach a self-assessment and lead it to continuous learning. self-development process.
I sat down and wrote an article titled: “The Six” I’s,
The “I” that I am: looking deep within ourselves in the face of the reality of our true self –
The “me” that I wish I was: What would I like to change that would make me better?
The “I” who perceive me as: How do people see me and / or feel about me?
The “me” who would like to be perceived as: How will the changes I need to bring about be reflected and helped?
The “me” that I can be: Looking to establish some personal priorities –
“I” Will Be: This is where self-discipline and commitment come into play –
All of this gives each of us the ability to sit down, and perhaps look in a mirror, and reflect on how we feel about the person looking at us in each of these conditions.
This is a place where we can learn to know ourselves a little better, address how we might meet others and assess our potential, and possibly begin to make a commitment to what we feel we should or need to change about ourselves.
When we are able to reflect on all these “me” things, we can come to an understanding and the conclusion that the “me” is really the core of a “TEAM”.
“Lots of ‘I’s coming together is a start. The’ I’s that we can be is progress. The ‘I’s that work together is a winning team.”
There is a story that seems to fit this discussion and may offer a better example of how the use of the term “me” can be used as a better example in team structures.
The game day dress code for the Penn State University football team is a very basic plain blue and white. Simple white helmets, black shoes with no names on the Jumpers. It’s a very interesting scenario because they are the only ones in college football who don’t have names on the back of their jerseys.
Well anyway, the story goes that one day one of the players asked why names were not allowed on the jerseys, and coach Joe Paterno replied, there is no need for names on the back of the jersey, the name on the front is what it is. important.
Well, the interesting part of this statement was that there is also not a name on the front of the jersey, but there is the face of the player that represents the “me” of who they are.
So the bottom line here is that there is no letter “I” in the word team, or in the words leader or follower, either, but all three are made up of a special group of “I’s.”
The whole thing about leaders / followers, team players, they all come from the same ingredients that make them unique, their individual focus on humility and unity, with a great deal of empathy mixed in.
And remember, no matter where you go, there it is. – Confucius
I am only one, but I am still one. I can not do everything, but I can still do something; and since I can’t do everything, I won’t refuse to do something that I can do. – Helen Keller