There Certainly Is an "I" in Teamwork

Regular readers know that I'm a pretty positive and mellow dude. This is, in fact, true.

Except when I hear stupid stuff that gets repeated so often and thoughtlessly that it becomes faux "management wisdom." When repeated by people with position power it can take entire groups of employees down the wrong path.

One such example: "There is no 'I' in "teamwork."

The underlying message here is that teamwork is all about subverting one's self to the overarching mission of the team, thus negating the "self" as an entity to be dealt with.

Big mistake.

Humans are all about self-interest. If you are a manager who wants a group of people to work together on anything, you better find the special something that touches the members involved. That means talking with each person individually to find out what they need--(or want to avoid)--as part of the team effort.

A Real-Life Example

It's late on Sunday night and I'm laying out a presentation for an executive team who is going to have to support and implement a global talent management process. They already believe in the process and want to see it happen.

But they have to make it happen. That means satisfying each person's felt need: more information about career development, minimal administrative hassle, streamlined activities that minimize task time, equal access to talent from other divisions, lack of interference with other business priorities. . . all of these are in play. Unless each person's driving need is satisfied, the program won't get off the ground in a meaningful way no matter how much the team is for it.

There is a huge "I' in teamwork and it's this: If "I" am managing the team, then "I" have to help each of "you" get what you need in order to be able to participate wholeheartedly.

It's not selfish to look after your self-interest. It's human. At work, it can mean the difference between focused high performance or diluted activity.

Managers who pay attention to the "I" in teamwork will serve their people, their teams, and their organizations well.

Bonus example: Check out Chris Bailey's The Art of Managing Self-Interest.

Comments

[Frank Roche]

Great point, Steve. It always amazes me that managers learn these trite little phrases, which somehow become their management mantra. I like what you say -- people work for their own self interest...in a group. So true.

Another phrase I'd like to go away is, "People don't work for money." It's in the same vein. Amateur psychologists use that phrase to justify underpaying people.

[Lance]

If individuals voices are heard, shared, and built into the team - what you have is "your" team - with people who don't feel included. And what kind of team environment is that? We do hear this all the time about no I in teamwork. This is a good look at the real "I" that is in there - and the importance of understanding it.

[Ellen Weber]

Great discussion and post here Steve and I so agree with you. Let's put the I back in big time and create teams with some zip! The best teams in my observation will:

•Stir up talents as tools in their groups
•Pay close attention to project requirements and team abilities
•Organize ideas and responses well, using keen communication tactics for flow
•Show originality and build on the offerings of their group
•Identify relevent points from theory and apply insights to tasks
•Avoid the temptation to pass over those who hold back
•Start early to give lots of time for edits
•Use communication and genuine appreciation of other's talents - to build a team community.

Thoughts?

[Tom Haskins]

Right on Steve! When I hear someone say "there's no I in teamwork", I say, "But there's an I in dedication, accomplishment, coordination, commitment and cooperation". Enlightened self-interest is a better concept than selflessness, as you're saying here. Great post!

[Steve Roesler]

Hi, Frank,

Yep, the money thing never ceases to baffle me.

I watched a fellow with whom I was co-leading a leadership program wax poetic to the group about hygiene factors and the "fact" that money isn't a motivator. One of the participants took umbrance and told him just how wrong he was. Instead of conceding that, perhaps, this fellow was genuinely money-motivated, my partner continued to cite theory that claimed that this fellow didn't know what he was talking about!

Here's the thing: the participant was totally honest in acknowledging that his work was satisfying, he looked forward to challenges, blah, blah, blah...but he woke up in the morning in order to come and get some more money. He even explained that he would work longer hours and weekends to get more money. Why?
He wanted money!

It wasn't a pretty sight and to this day, my workshop partner insists that this guy was obviously confused about what he wanted!! My partner is also no longer employed:-)

[Steve Roesler]

Lance, glad to know that the post had a truthful ring.

[Steve Roesler]

Ellen,

My thought is this: all of those things can happen with gusto as long as they serve some purpose for the people involved.

[Steve Roesler]

Good to see you, Tom.

And I'm going to jot down your "i" words; they do a good job of underscoring the whole idea.

[Wally Bock]

Congratulations! This post was selected as one of the five best business blog posts of the week in my Three Star Leadership Midweek Review of the Business Blogs.

http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2008/08/20/82008-a-midweek-look-at-the-business-blogs.aspx

Wally Bock

[Steve Roesler]

Wally, thank you for the inclusion.

[Mark]

I recently blogged about new research from Penn State that supports your thesis, Steve:

http://blog.winningworkplaces.org/blog/employee-engagement/0/0/there-is-an-i-in-team-and-thats-ok

I think your real-life example above fits nicely with Prof. Stephen Humphrey and his colleagues' findings. I also find it funny how infrequently this argument comes up. Good topic.

[Steve Roesler]

Hey, Mark,

Thanks for the reference; am definitely going to check it out.

You know, it is a bit amazing how infrequently such buzzlines are questioned. It's as if "It feels right so it must be right." And then such one-liners go on to permeate organizational life and behavior until something stops working and someone has the courage to say: "Uh. . ."

Much appreciated.