I'm constantly inspired by teams — building them, working in them, growing them, and watching them succeed. That led me to think that every person who works on any team should be inspired, to find the work of the team inspiring, to find the opportunity to contribute to the work and the success of the team inspiring. And that inspired me to write this series of blog posts.
Whenever we look for a job, it’s obvious enough that we’re looking for a company to hire us. But it’s a two-way street: In a sense, we’re looking to hire a company. We’re looking for an environment in which we — our talent, our aptitudes, our personalities — will be recognized, nurtured, encouraged, and rewarded.
Life’s too short is a cliché. It’s a cliché because it’s true. And opportunities are as plentiful as life is short. So, if we find ourselves in the wrong environment, we have to move on to the next one. The only thing we get by settling is dissatisfaction. We deserve better than that.
Look Up
The American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “We aim above the mark to hit the mark.” To me, that means three things: (1) The higher we set our sights, the more we’ll achieve. (2) We get what we settle for. (3) Life is short. We don’t have to settle
Conventional wisdom says we sharpen ourselves and our skills through competition. And competitive spirits are very healthy. But environments in which people compete for one position are neither healthy nor constructive. In contrast, environments in which teams can compete with each other to generate ideas or to achieve particular objectives are healthy, constructive, productive, and fulfilling. They’re inclusive, rather than exclusive. As a result, they allow the contributions of everyone to be recognized and rewarded.
This kind of environment also encourages people to expand and improve their skills, rather than to operate in silos or ruts. As they grow and mature, as they gain experience and confidence, they become greater contributors to their teams. Their capabilities and their flexibility enhance the value they bring to their teams. As teams grow — in size and in skill — so grows the organization.
The Wheel Turns
What may be most inspiring is that, at this point — a point at which technology is becoming so ubiquitous and so powerful — we’re rediscovering people. That puts me in mind of a notion from the late, legendary American author, salesman, and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar: “You don’t build a business — you build people, and people build the business.” And that notion feeds my inspiration.
If we’re giving our people the freedom they want and need — and if we’re giving them the team environments in which then can assimilate, collaborate, and grow personally and professionally — we’ll be building businesses, indeed. And very successful ones at that.
