I'm sure all of us have been part of a team. A lot of males may recall joining basketball leagues in school or in their villages. Quite a number of women may have played volleyball in organized tournaments or in with their friends. Even in school or in work, we have often been part of teams for certain big or small projects. There is at least one moment in our lives when we have been called to work together with certain people, whether we like it or not.
Dictionary.com defines team as "a number of persons forming one of the sides in a game or contest," and "a number of persons associated in some joint action." I guess all of us are familiar with these definitions. But what makes up a good team, really? Although many would argue that what makes up a good team is perseverance, passion, and chemistry, all in unity, I think that the best quality that any team can have is commitment.
When one has a task at hand, to finish it well, one needs to persevere, or work hard for whatever goal. We all know that without hard work, no good work can really be made. It is always good to work hard, especially in a team. When each member does so, any kind of task can be accomplished immensely well.
While hard work may make good work, it is passion that leads us to great accomplishments. It is hard to motivate one's self to work hard, but when one is passionate about something, his mind becomes so engrossed in that idea or work, and working hard for that thing seems like no work at all. It may be safe to assume that when we are passionate about something, it motivates us to work hard.
Now, let's discuss team chemistry. Usually, people who are passionate about one thing group together, and because of their passion, they work well together. There are some rare cases however, where teams are formed by necessity, and yet good chemistry is established. It is really important for members of a team to get along well to get the work done. I avoids delays, and helps every member work well.
In a team, all these things have to be in the spirit of unity, or oneness. A team has to be united to work hard together. Teams with one passion that unifies them often work better. People who get along well also need to be united, in the sense that they have to direct all that positive energy towards one thing they want to accomplish.
Having all these traits in a team is excellent. However, anything cannot be done without the choice to do so. This is where commitment comes in. We may have the best team in the world, but if each member does not commit to that one thing, nothing will happen. Essentially, commitment is making the choice every day to work hard, and to do one's best. Everything may already be there, even the passion and chemistry, but without the choice to work for the goal of the team, nothing great can ever be accomplished.
You do know of at least one instance in your life when you joined an organization, or assumed a position of leadership, and then told yourself and the people around you that you have plans, great plans for the future of whatever thing that is your organization or electorate hopes for. There is nothing wrong with that. However, you have to understand that you are going to have to make the decision everyday to do your best for the achievement of that goal. It is the only thing that will keep you going. We have oftentimes declared that we like a certain job, or opportunity, but without commitment to that thing, we will never go far. We will just waste the chances given to us. In a team, EACH member has to commit. EACH member, whether he is in a basketball team, a volleyball team, a team for a business-plan, a brainstorming team, a loveteam, or whatever kind of team, has to make that choice everyday. It is the only way for the team to flourish. Hard work comes from choice; passion is empty without the choice to work; team chemistry and unity are nothing without that choice.
The next time you decide to do something, choose to have commitment.
