Teams: Part of Something Larger

I've been writing a lot about teams--and you might surmise that I believe teams are the major cog in what happens in the world. And while I do believe this, it is important to remember that teams have a place. I was reading an article in Worship Leader magazine recently which reinforced the idea that teams are part of something larger and that it is critical for teams to recognize their relationship to the larger entity.

I've been on a journey lately piecing together a lot of seemingly disparate things which have occurred in my life with respect to teams. I was a dedicated member of a team, and was one of the team's co-leaders, when it became apparent to me that I was not being effective and that I was creating a lot of stress for myself and the other co-leaders, with the result that the team was spinning its wheels. It was time for me to move on. I had become: "that guy." The one who never seems to agree, the one who always wants to try something different than what the team is doing, the one trying to "push the envelope" (a test pilot term) and the guy who probably became the stumbling block of the team due to having a different vision than the other co-leaders of the team. What I forgot to remember was what I read on an airplane last Saturday while zooming off to vacation in Florida for two weeks--teams are part of something larger.

Teams are the operational, or tactical level of organizations. Teams are where the work of the larger organizations happens and where the strategies decided at echelons above reality (or upper management) are implemented. Teams are the bridge from the organizational strategic level to tactical operations--where the work of the larger organization is done. To put it in military terms--teams are where the hills are taken that the generals decide need to be taken.

In reading the article in Worship Leader magazine by Glen Packiam, I was struck by the simplicity of his statement and how easy it is to overlook: "The best teams are the ones that understand that they are part of something far greater than themselves."

Think about it. I follow the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and the Baltimore Ravens football team every season. Each of these teams are part of the larger leagues to which they belong. In my workplace, the Operations Team I used to run was part of the larger organization. Success or failure was measured by how well the larger organization fared based upon its annual goals. Other teams to which I have belonged are each part of something larger and the critical factor is to ensure the teams activities contribute to the larger success of the bigger organization.

It is possible for a team to feel successful, but to actually fail in supporting the larger organization to which it belongs. The teams goals and measures of success must be properly aligned with the greater organization, else divisiveness will ensue. An old adage is that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" but in today's environment it is more often that the "squeaky wheel" gets sold off or terminated because they are not contributing to the larger goals of the organization or are consuming too many resources for the value.

Teams are the operational implementing arm of the larger organization. Team leaders must remember this and work hard to ensure that this is passed on to each of the team members and that there is a tight relationship between the team and the organization/entity to which they belong.

Turtles on the Beach

The coolest thing happened tonight as we were enjoying Happy Hour on the beach--an eruption. What is an eruption you ask? It is when a turtle nest erupts with small turtles who have one objective--make it to the ocean before they get eaten. They rarely happen during daylight hours--so we were especially blessed to witness this mad dash of nature.

If you have seen a war movie about marines storming a beach--think of it in reverse--turtles storming the ocean and as you are standing there your only objective is to cheer them on and wish them Godspeed as they respond to nature's call to go to the ocean.


It really is amazing to watch 40 - 50 newly hatched turtles make their way to the ocean. And to interfere is a violation of nature's way. Although the small turtles are also known as the Cheerio's of the Sea--one can only cheer them on as they race for the ocean and ultimately safety in the Sargasso sea area of the Caribbean.

BTW-- these are little Loggerhead Turtles, born today, June 8, 2008 and are enroute to their futures. Last year, we were lucky enough to witness an eruption at night on the beach just as another loggerhead was finishing laying, and this year--in the light of of the evening.

Jupiter - Day 4

Well, the vacation is going well. We have settled into a nice routine and I have decompressed, as has Chris.

We are currently exploring the virtues of B's: biking, beach, basking, bed and beautiful sunsets.

We have been biking seven miles every morning before 8:30 and then doing a quick breakfast before hitting the beach until about 1 pm. Then back to the house for showers and maybe a nap. It's a tough life but someone has to live it.

Afternoons are lazy and relaxing. We did some shopping to replace my stolen laptop and Chris's stolen camera. I did get a new HP and Chris got a newer model of her camera. Both were upgrades to what was lost, but we decided that spending some additional money over our expected compensation was worth it.

The snorkeling has not been good, although I've snorkeled twice. The surf has been rough, and is expected to be really rough later this week. I almost definitely will not be diving this vacation due to visibility concerns.

I love Florida. I love the heat. And I love chilling.

Happy hour on Jupiter Island Beach

One of the things I love most about coming to Florida is decompressing by celebrating Happy Hour on the beach.

So on day 1 at 5:30 pm we trekked to the beach. Wine, cheese, crackers and good friends mixed with sun and surf. Do I need say more? Summer 2008-bring it on!

So the beach, the three mile stretch we were on had about a dozen other people on it. Wow. Any wonder why I want to become a permanent beach dweller?

Florida 2008, day 1

Well. Today we flew to Jupiter for our annual trek to Florida. Jeremy was kind enough to drop us off at the airport at 7am for our flight to West Palm Beach on Southwest Airlines.

The check in and flight was one of the smoothest I and Chris have taken in years. It was actually very pleasant. The way flying used to be. And the flight attendants sang some very funny songs which really made the flight special.

Here is the most fantastic part: within one-half hour of landing we had our bags and were on the road headed to Jupiter in our rental car. Try doing that at BWI.

And we were changed, out on the beach in the ocean within one and one-half hours of landing.

And so it begins. Awesome. And I still do not have a laptop so this post is via email from my blackberry.

Troy Graduates - 2008

What a weekend it was. The main event spanned two days---Thursday night was the actual graduation while Saturday was the party. As with any family event--it was a lot of fun and some work. Chris and Jodie spent most of Friday preparing the awesome Saturday party feast. On top of the graduation--Troy turned 18 as well, so there was a lot to party about.

It is just fantastic when the entire family gets together as we can celebrate success. And the day was a beautiful day. I even spent some time in Jodie and Matt's pool with Ethan--who was in rare form and loves playing with Trevar. He also is the ultimate party animal and always needs to blow out the candles. These were special candles--they continued to burn after they were extinguished. Unfortunately, one of them accidentally burned Ethan--he was not amused. It was good to see how everyone came together to celebrate these special events in Troy's life.

Gut Check--Take Care of Yourself!

On Sunday as we were driving home from NY, I had a real gut check--I received a call from work to inform me that one of my colleagues and friends had a heart attack earlier in the day. He was doing well and was in the hospital. He is younger than I am and in good health. It hit everyone I work with real hard on Monday. We are a pretty tight group.

Our jobs can be real high stress and are always fast paced. We often fail to take care of ourselves--and I'm not saying that he didn't, but in our business we really need to focus on stress relief and cardio conditioning to stay on top of the challenges we face every day. His experience is reinforcing that for everyone. I had one guy I used to paly racquetball with even get a court for the afternoon and we played for the first time in over a year.

I went and visited him in the hospital Monday evening and he is in good spirits. He said that he was real happy to be able to be talking to me. As it turned out--he was aware of the warning signs and didn't wait on getting to the hospital--good on him which is why he will have a quicker recovery. I, given the same circumstances would probably not have fared nearly so well, as my experience with my recently discovered shrimp allergy will attest.

Tim Russert's recent death has had a profound effect on many middle-aged men; hopefully for the better. His death and my friend's experience makes me face my own mortality, despite my best efforts to ignore it. I guess we each need to face our mortality, it is a humbling experience to know we don't control the number of days we are alloted. Live each day to the fullest and make sure you tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. It may be the words they need to get through the rest of their lives.

E armed with a camera

OK--it was a great weekend in upstate NY attending Troy's graduation. And we had a great time. Did you ever wonder what would happen if a three-year old were armed with a camera? During the family party for Troy, to celebrate both

his graduation from high school and his 18th birthday, Ethan decided to take some pictures. He has an interesting perspective on the world. He was fun to watch, because he would look into the viewfinder and click the camera and when the image showed he announced: "Got it!"

Well, here are a couple of Ethan's photos to give you an idea of his very different perspective. The world is very different when you are three. And I am glad that Ethan captured his view of the world for us at the party this weekend. At least Jackson didn't seem to mind the attention. And we will all be able to remember E's feet and toes. He does have a movement issue when he snaps the images, but seeing these images reminds me how much fun he was to watch looking for things to take pictures of.

Change of Pace - Music

I was listening to oldies radio the other day and a song from the early 70's came crashing through the mental fog associated with driving home after a long day. The song was Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" and I was reminded of the problem I had with the song when it came out. Perspective.

Here are some of the words to remind you of the song:


Lyrics by: Carly Simon
Music by: Carly Simon

You walked into the party
Like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror
As you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed
That they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and....
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't you?


I still remember that I never understood the words--

I'll bet you think this song is about you

Because, it seemed pretty obvious to me, at the time, that the song was about the person walking into the party, and flying to Nova Scotia to see the eclipse. I mean who else is it about?

And what in the world is gavotte? Ever wonder that? An old French dance?

As I listened to the song though the other day, and I know I had not really thought too deeply about it in over 30 years, it suddenly dawned on me who the song is about. It is about the writer (Carly). It is a matter of perspective which was getting in the way of recognizing that.

I went to a site that has a discussion board about the song, just to see if I was potentially right. And here is what I found:

The song ultimately is about her and how she was used. The irony is that the vain person is only going to hear how it's about him because that's the essence of vanity-that everything revolves around "you." I still think that vain person's a single guy. If so, couldn't someone just figure out who owned a horse that raced at Saratoga or went to see an eclipse in Nova Scotia unless that's altered.

Suspicion confirmed! And so the song is really very deep.

How many times do we read or see or hear something and think it is about us when in reality someone is trying to tell us something about themselves in the context of our relationship with them--only we don't hear it? We're too busy being about ourselves. Because our world is all about us.

Believe in Your Team

Teams are resilient. Teams have a sense of purpose and along with that a sense of ability and what I call "identity." Teams project their ability--confidence or incompetence to outsiders. Teams need to believe in and be confident in themselves, that they can overcome obstacles and more importantly that they are not victims but rather in charge of their destiny and their situation.

The role of the leader is to build the team to believe it can overcome obstacles. There needs to be a sense that when working together, the team will succeed in any situation--whether it's true or not, a defeatist attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. The difference between the word "will" and "can" is very important. "Can" almost always has an "if" attached to it. "Will" stands alone!

Leaders who practice the philosophy of tearing down team members in order to rebuild them do a disservice to themselves and the whole team. As part of the whole process of individual development for team members, leaders need to encourage their team members to believe in their strengths and to recognize their weaknesses. Then, continue to develop their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. As a leader--using the individual strengths on the team for the good of the whole team will provide success. The process of tearing down instills doubt which may not be overcome with the result being that the team loses the benefit of the individual's strengths.

I'm an Orioles fan. And most everyone who looks at the 2008 team recognizes they are not the best team in baseball on paper. There are some glaring weaknesses--shortstop, starting pitching, catcher, and first base to name a few. At the beginning of the season the team was estimated to lose over 100 games (and they still may, but I hope not). But as of today, 74 games into the season, the O's are 2 games above .500. No one, but the O's themselves believed at the start of the season that they would be able to post success in the toughest division in all of baseball. What's the difference this year than last? They believe they can do it. Night after night as they have been coming from behind the post game reporters are hearing that the team never gives up and that they always believe they can and will win. And then someone, a different guy every night it seems, picks the team up and they win. Leadership continues to instill that kind of winning attitude and for now it's working.

In our own teams, it is up to the leader to instill the winning, can-do type of approach. Put people in position to succeed and develop the team's sense of character. One way leaders encourage this is to build the team members up and empower them to take risks--they may not always succeed, but it is in the trying and the taking of risks that people learn that they are a lot more capable that they thought they were. And in taking risks as a team, combating adversity, teams learn they are more capable than they thought they were, too.

Believe in your team--they won't let you down. Teams reflect their leadership, build them up and they will begin to accomplish what you thought was unimaginable yesterday.