Think “We” Instead of “Me”
Are you ready for a hard truth? It doesn’t matter how solid you are at doing something alone … you’re always going to get much further if you work with a team, as a team, using “we” instead of “me.”
Overall, it doesn’t matter how good one specific individual is. It doesn’t matter if that one person is ultra motivated, always hits their goals, and focuses inward. What does matter is if that one person helps motivate others, cares about the other people on their team, and is willing to share the win. The best teams come from team members who care about one another, both personally and professionally, AND of course are willing and wanting to work together.
The truth is, any job that needs to get done will get done best if it’s done together. Why? Because each individual on a team has specific tasks and areas in the business in which they thrive the best in. Not to mention, most jobs also need work done in multiple areas. Sure, some team members can be good at many things; maybe this is you. Maybe you find yourself pretty good in a lot of areas. However, it’s important to not spread yourself too thin. Teams don’t need people who are good at everything; they need people who are experts in what they do.
Think about this: A baseball coach wouldn’t play a game with his centerfielder as a pitcher, the second baseman as the catcher, and the first baseman as the shortstop if he wanted to win or watch a good game. He would play his players in their respective positions. The same goes for team members in the workplace. You are bound to have some team members who are analytical, logical, visionary, –the list goes on forever. What a team needs is for those people to play in their respective positions so that they can win and succeed together. The team must focus on itself as a whole.
So how do we do this? How does the team use “we” thinking instead of “me” thinking?
4 questions to ask yourself when working with a team:
Where do I fit in?
What area do I thrive in?
Why do I matter?
How do I win together with my team members?
All of these questions are important, however, putting some attention on your response to the last question is really key. You may think that a little internal competition is good for numbers, sales, and getting the job done. However, it’s now known that when companies create internal competition between employees, people grow tired quickly. You don’t want your people tired; you want them in a position to thrive. It’s important to create a win-together incentive that ensures people lift each other up to higher levels.
If your team is struggling to succeed, team honesty is important. A leader should be the person in an organization creating the culture and keeping it alive. This person can help others find the answers as to where they fit in, why they matter, and figuring out the areas in which they thrive in. Once you have the answers to those, dig deeper.
3 questions that will help you and your team get honest:
Do people on my team care about each other personally and professionally?
Do people on my team set bold goals and solve difficult problems together?
Does everyone see how we “win together”?
Overall, think about a time you’ve been on a team and there was one person specifically that wanted to be the best, to be the superhero. It was the person that wanted to “fix” everything, be in control, and enjoyed the praise at the end. How did that work out for them … and the team? Probably not very good. Right? When there is one person on a team trying to solve all of the problems and “win,” everyone loses. Usually, this one person dramatically shifts team morale and culture and not for the better.
It’s important to keep your focus on “we” instead of “me”. Keep your team in a position to win but play everyone where they thrive most. Go get it!
I’m Krista Ryan
My job is to help you learn a little, laugh a lot, and get clear on action steps for your success.
It may have taken a life changing event to shake me awake and decide I no longer wanted to live a comfortable life… I wanted to embrace the discomfort and live a life of courage and intention.
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