The Power of Team

The all American sport of Baseball vividly demonstrates the Power of Team. Players practice to hone their personal skills, but also spend countless hours collaborating with teammates to master force plays, double plays, outfield relays and the like. They wear uniforms that signify their common purpose, and when they take the field they work together, even at the expense of individual statistics, in order to win the game.

Coping with failure is a fundamental part of the game. Even the best hitters do not succeed more than 30% of the time, with a 70% failure rate as a desirable norm. The success of a team hinges on how players help each other through tough times to concentrate on each game, one at a time.

To see the dynamic at work, just look in a baseball dugout. Players will be encouraging their teammates as they go up to bat. When a player comes back with a sense of frustration, there is no mood of blame or anger, just a friendly pat, and the words “get ‘em next time”. They are there to cheer each other on, celebrate victories, and remain a safety net of strength to each other when needed most. As baseball is uniquely played by innings, not time, there is always an opportunity to win as long as a single out remains, making the retention of each player’s focus every player’s priority.

If a player refused to practice, not only would his individual skill level diminish, but the dynamic of the team performance as well. A weak link may be exposed by the strategies of the opposition, to change the outcome of the game. A player who cannot be relied upon to embrace the unity of the team will soon find himself elsewhere.

What kind of player are you?

Do you make an effort to go to practice in order become the best player your position? Do you share your insights with others, and accept theirs in return? Are you there cheering your teammates on when they hit home runs, and being there to support them when they have just struck out?

Or, are you investing time and money to learn how to be a stand out player in your position, but failing to realize the “Power of Team”? Have you somehow become disengaged from your team, and drifted down a path of isolation? Have you fallen behind while your teammates work in tandem to get things moving? Have you even questioned your own ability to play your own position?

None of us is as good as all of us. There is so much power in what you can accomplish as a team. Don’t question your gifts or greatness…share them. If you are in a dark place, plug into teammates strength, and you will be illuminated. Your skill set will complement those of your teammates, and vice versa….this truly is “Power”.

Doesn’t everything we have come from “The power of Team”? Your family relationships, the car you drive, the home you live in, the clothes your wear, the food you eat…are all products of the team concept. If an individual tried to take any one of these from concept to completion on his/her own, the outcome would not be the same. “Together Everyone Achieves More”.

It doesn’t matter if you are an athlete, a family member, a business owner, or member of a group or a plethora of other things that include two or more people. If you don’t work together, your team will fall apart. But when you coordinate your talents and effort, you can build something much larger than yourself.
Your contribution will lend itself to overall success, not only for the growth of your team, but for you personally. The reward and outcome for those who take the journey together is unmistakably “The power of Team”.

© 2012 Jacqueline Hadden Enterprises, LLC

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