Embracing Change Through the Power of Teamwork

God has made us that way and he wants to be a part of that change starts today we're looking together at um what kind of character we're building and in particular what are the characters things that God has given you and the one that I want to talk about today I had to bring Nancy in because this is a word that you love deeply in its team of that word and the uh the character strength is um teamwork and the folks that do research in this area Define it as working well as a member of a group or a team being loyal to that group doing one share so citizenship is a kind of an interesting dimension of that and I think the value of that seems to keep going down we live in such an individualistic culture. [00:32:52]

I do remember as a kid even in third and fourth grade getting a little giddy at the cover of the social studies book that would have the mailman walking across the street in the firemen waving and the nurse going to work and just like everything with the milk bottles yes and my dad was a Milkman for a while everybody doing their thing but there's this ecosystem and oh my gosh like on field trip days which were my favorite going into the forest on these hikes with the Rangers and you'd stop at the signage that would have a picture of the ecosystem yeah it would have the bugs and the leaves Recycling and the squirrels and the mountain lions just that whole feeling of an ecosystem where everybody has a part to play and there's an interaction that happens. [00:85:20]

They say when you're rowing um if people are too much focused on just individual I can pull harder than anybody so I'll try to pull the hardest that I can that doesn't help you have to bring the best that you can but then also be aware of this is what you bring this is what you bring and so I will modify it's a little bit like an acquirer the goal is not to sing as loudly as you can you want to listen to other people and to just what you're doing to them and if you're all doing that together with each other there'll be a moment when a vote experiences um uh synchronicity a Unity a Harmony where it's cutting through the water and it's like magic and they will call That Swing. [00:180:66]

When I was in high school I had no idea but I was in a choir that was directed again Libby lundstrom you can look him up on Wikipedia his contributions to church music um school and church choirs were just extraordinary it was a public school but uh what I didn't know was he loved team now there was a choir but it's that same thing everybody bring their gifts High accountability yes if uh if The Sopranos couldn't get their parts right he would make them sing one at a time the tricky line so that you were utterly exposed and vulnerable but the thrill of we're all contributing to something better than us. [00:227:87]

I was reading part of the research is for high school students um high school students who are a part of a team or have the strength of teamwork loyalty commitment I'm going to help out um flourish in life much better than those who don't that does not surprise me at all yeah you're not isolated um if you're on a great team and other people admit mistakes you start to realize you don't have to be perfect I make mistakes too it's okay. [00:305:94]

If you were going to ask who is the highest impact team of all time regardless of what you think about religion um the disciples Jesus with the disciples would be it and so that's another question they were a mess a lot of the time yep yeah so I think paying attention to who Jesus put on the team and why um you know I've said this before Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot Simon the Zella only followed Jesus because he believed Jesus's number one goal was to overthrow the Roman government which it wasn't and Matthew the tax collector worked for the Roman government and Jesus was the only thing they had in common and apparently that was enough. [00:348:78]

The idea that has to be this perfect set now you may be wanting to work towards getting exactly the right people on the boat in the seat at the what Jim Collins talks about in the meantime so much good can be done if you believe in the people you have right in front of you and start there. [00:422:94]

What is it about teams that um energizes you like I love teams I love having been on teams but my wiring this is not one of my signature strengths part of why I wanted to talk to you and because I tend to I love learning so to learn and communicate I'll often do but that's often more of a solitary thing and so when I think about Jesus with the teams like man they just got in the way he could teach it they would mess that up he could live it yeah yeah it's much cleaner much pure what is it about a team that makes you say nope if I pull a team together if I'm part of a team something is going to happen some kind of magic something the kingdom is going to be present in a way that even though I might be confident and in control it won't happen if it's just me. [00:440:58]

There's something about the partnership doing it together and not alone that's very compelling to me the community aspect of it but the magic the what's going to happen the individual contributions that all come together get orchestrated and people get excited they feel they feel encouraged they feel they're doing something purposeful and meaningful and we get to do it together. [00:500:52]

Think about what teams you're on not just in working or volunteering or even at school but like in a family or in a neighborhood or with folks that how can you be our nation as a citizen how can you add value and contribute to whatever team that you're a part of today use a little piece of that there's a restaurant that I go to occasionally and their teamwork is just palpable and every once in a while I'll pull the leader aside and just like I don't know what you put in the water here but what you're creating is amazing. [00:557:22]