Teams and Families

I recently read a website/newspaper column (The Tunneyside of Sports, 27 July 2015, #551) written by an acquaintance of mine, Jim Tunney, a motivational author and speaker and former National Football League referee.  Dr. Tunney and I have many similarities in professional training and background.  We have spoken of our mutual goals of helping others achieve theirs.  He wrote in this article of some of the similarities in composition of human functional units of teams and families.  Similarities, I might add, can be found to great functional advantage in the animal kingdom—from elephants to ants. (“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. . . .” (Proverbs 6:6)

I liked Jim’s definition of a T*E*A*M*-- “Together, Everyone Accomplishes More.  In order for a family to do that, each member must do his or her part to live and work together.” He used examples of the team/family concept from sports teams to bands and orchestras, to cast members in a play.

 

Even though each individual in a family, sports team, choir, platoon, etc. is unique and may have different abilities and functions, they must subordinate their role and adapt it to the larger goal of the unit. In doing so, the unit moves forward toward its goal and each individual who makes contribution toward that movement finds satisfaction. 

 

How much better families, work crews, production lines, organizations of all kinds would work if each person would, as the Boy Scouts motto proclaims, “do your best to do your duty to God and your country [or family, or church, or class, etc.].”

I recently heard an interview on N.P.R. with a number of retired General Motors assembly line workers and supervisors.  They related that because management at G.M. in the 1970’s and ‘80’s did not have the teamwork vision as did the Japanese carmakers Toyota and Honda, they lost market share to the Japanese that they have never recovered.  The Japanese simply made better cars—as they do now. 

 

Teamwork, and recognition of those who make up the team, from the least to the greatest, and their individual contribution, is the way to go. It is a 'win-win.'