Phun-size Philosophy # 36 - Teams

Teams are essentially the groupings of individuals working together. They are usually brought together for a specific reason tasked with a specific challenge or to solve a certain problem. Teams are usually comprised of individual parts and those who are a part of it have some judgment or power in the team. They are on it usually because they've made it past a certain cut off point and have a vested interest in the subject at hand. If there is no tryout period from which certain individuals get chosen to participate, then they usually join by their own free will and want of being involved. When you are a part of a team, you usually share a common goal with the rest of your teammates. You then collaborate with them in order to achieve an end result that is desired by all parties involved. For instance, if you are on a sports team you will work and do whatever it takes to try and achieve a common goal of winning a championship. The worth of a team is determined by the sum of all its parts. We have all probably seen the TV show called the Weakest Link. Well this show has some good values to be learned from it! I believe that you are only as strong as your weakest link so you need to be concerned with everyone on the team. A good way to maximize the amount of success your team will have is by playing to your team's strength and defending your weaknesses and improving both at the same time. Another influential factor in the amount of success a team will have is the chemistry involved in a team. In order to be successful you must also build off of each other. You shouldn’t bring down the team for your own ideals. There is a tremendous amount that can be learned from everyone who you work with and there is also so much that you can help others with. You must consider when thinking about teams is that there is a greater margin of error but also a greater chance of success if the whole team can work together as one. A member of the team's mistake could affect the performance of the team and you need to make sure there is the right people who are on the team in the first place. You can't control everyone on a team but you can try to create the best environment to create success. If done correctly, teams can accomplish way more than one person can alone.

-Allan Nicholas