By Mark Leader and Marylyn B. Schwartz
RISMEDIA, Sept. 21, 2007-The old saying tells us that when we are dealt life’s lemons, we should rush off and whip up a refreshing pitcher of Deal-With-It Lemonade. Good advice or pie-in-the-sky claptrap? That would depend on the circumstances. No doubt that some things are easier said than done.
However, when there is a support system in place to help one navigate tough times, the challenges are disbursed, thus lessening the burden on any one individual. Therein lays the power of a highly functioning team. In the letters of the word team are hidden its true meaning: Together, Each, Achieves, More…team!
The fact remains that putting together a team is no guarantee that a strong network support system will result. Consider the fact that there are groups of people working together all the time. The team concept of which we speak is quite different. A team is a body of people with a common purpose and goal. They may be joined for a short period of time, or long term on a continuous project.
When a team faces a downturn such as we are undergoing in the real estate and mortgage markets, they gather their collective strength to support one another and to pursue ways to best survive the challenges and ensure that the best outcome is achieved under the circumstances.
A team is far more concerned about the unified purpose than they are about the individual members. That’s a powerful concept in as much as there is no limit to what can be accomplished when there is no worry about who gets the credit. The team goals are the real prize in a highly functioning team unit!
To create a powerful team in any organization the following are critical:
1. The objectives and goals of the team are clear and concise and understood by everyone.
2. The tasks at hand are long range rather than short range. If the tasks are short range, a group may suit the tasks more effectively.
3. The progress of the team is measured regularly and communicated to all. In addition, all team members understand fully how the team is judged. Everyone is judged on an equal footing. It is the team’s success that matters.
4. There is ongoing and regular communication among team members. By so doing, it is easy to avoid spiraling downward as a result of secondary agendas or unspoken issues. Open and candid communication is key.
It is not hard to see how a powerful team would be able to withstand greater impacts than the lone individual. When the strength of a team of caring individuals is gathered around any difficulty or threat to the team’s success, that difficulty or threat is reduced in gravity by the collective power that is a team. RE
Mark Leader is the president of Mark Leader Courses. For more information, please visit www.leaderschoice.com, or e-mail mail@leaderschoice.com.
Marylyn Schwartz is president of TEAMWEAVERS and is known nationwide as a real estate speaker/ trainer and expert in the field of sales and team/management development. Presently, she is a trainer for Leader’s Choice.
