A is for Aligning Abilities and Attributes

This posting is the third is a four-part series on the elements of TEAM. A is for aligning abilities and attributes.  At the end of a pre-season NFL winning game by the Baltimore Ravens, a sports reporter asked Quarterback Ray Lewis to describe the  “difference” in this year’s team.  Mr. 52 responded:

““.

A winning team utilizes the power of aligning abiliites and attributes to reach goals, hit targets, score points, defeat adversity and win “games”.  Alignment requires that each teach member respect the vantage points, assigned responsibilities and natural talents of EACH team member.

On winning teams, strategic respect and sincere rapport equip individual strength to propel team strength and individual skill to empower team skill. Individual team members leverage their abilities and attributes to  overcome and overtake mutual challenges. Individual team members synergize their abilities and attributes to LEAD their companies, governments, committees and organizations to win in planning, producing, performing and prospering.

The “E” in TEAM

This blog posting is the second in series about team building.  The “E” for enforcement in team building IS empowering individual and mutual education and experiences to enlarge vision and enjoy victory.  The first blog posting in this series pronounced that “building a team of two or ten thousands requires trusting talents and thoughts.”

By combining trust, talents and thoughts, groups associations, communities and corporations TEAM BUILD.  TEAM BUILD is maximized by skillfully, strategically and successfully synergizing the educational backgrounds and life experiences of team members. For example, lawyers analyze, approach and address “problems” differently than engineers,  elementary school teachers and accountants.  Each profession, each industry, each vocation and each individual  conceives, perceives, receives and achieves with a unique combination.

Teams that work well respect the differences in the educational backgrounds and social experiences of business partners, co-workers and strategic allies. In the mid-1990s,  as the Baltimore Area Director for Baltimore Dollars for Scholars, Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America, Inc., I led a workshop on “Collaboration, Communication and Coordination between Foundation Grant Makers and Non-Profit Organization Staffers” at a national convention. I incorporated a role-reversal exercise in which the grant makers in the room assumed the viewpoints and voices of charitable organization leaders seeking funding.

Active listening and abundant laughter led to a  mutual learning about the importance of  acknowledging, affirming and addressing the diversity of education, experience and expectation that individual team members bring to a proposal, plan or program.

Effective enforcement of the “E” in team building encourages group self esteem, facilitates clear communication and promotes team harmony that ultimately results in increased productivity,  progress, profits and yes, PEACE.