The teams of Teamership
Writing Teamership was a living lesson in working as a part of multiple teams all committed to the same goal.
Writing Teamership was a living lesson in working as a part of multiple teams all committed to the same goal. While it is my name on the cover, there are many people to thank for their support and contribution to this book. Without them, there is no way it would have been in the world in its current format (which I love) and at this time.
I also realised that the teams of Teamership were an exact example of what I had been writing about. Each contributor to the book was their own independent business. That means that I couldn’t rely on employee contracts or policies to enforce compliance. My book was also just one of their projects so they were working across multiple teams (as was I).
We had a small celebratory dinner on the day of the book launch. It was the first time that we had all been in the same place at the same time (except for the one team member who is in Bali for a few months!). As we were together, I was struck by a sense of gratitude. Each of those people contributed to an important project and chose to dedicate their time, expertise and energy to it as they were juggling many other commitments.
In a multiple team environment, every member of your teams is managing their own multiple teams. This means that their ability to commit to your team or project is a significant factor in how well you perform. Developing and expressing a genuine sense of gratitude for the contributions of each team member is good for us as individuals (to appreciate the support that we are getting) and the connections within your teams.
Like many of us, I’m not always great at gratitude - either developing or expressing it. With that in mind, I’m starting the professional year with some explicit and deliberate gratitude for the teams of Teamership.
I’d like to thank the team that matters most. Thank you to my wife, Rebecca, for all your support – emotional and logistical. Thanks also for your guidance, which has made this book better. Thanks also for putting up with me when I wasn’t bringing my best. Thank you to the other member of that team – my daughter, Alia. You bring your best so often and make me want to do the same.
Thank you to David Longfield of Longueville Media who provided guidance from very early on in the process – every conversation helped the book to become better. Thanks to Alan Chen and Diana Ayoub – also known as Sh8peshifters – for your illustrative genius that is splashed from cover to cover in this book. Love your work. Thank you to Cynthia Colli, the Creative Concierge! Without directly working on the book, you have played a huge part in getting this important message out through your web and graphic design. Thank you to Sireen Assafiri who, as my Practice Manager, has the unenviable task of keeping me on track and on task.
A few questions for you to consider this week:
How many teams are your team members on?
What makes them choose to commit their time, expertise and energy to your team?
Do you develop and express gratitude in your teams?