Teamwork. The cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interest of a common cause (dictionary.com).
Since we are only nine months from the start of the 2015 Legislative Session, now would be a good time to develop your teamwork strategies.
When you begin building your team, there are several factors to keep in mind:
- It’s not just about you and your ideals.
- Differences of opinions can lead to healthy discussions.
- The working environment your team develops will dictate the success of your organization.
While researching the term “teamwork,” I came upon quite a few great quotes:
- “Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.” Alexander the Great
- “Contrary to popular belief, there most certainly is an ‘I’ in ‘team.’ It is the same ‘I’ that appears three times in ‘responsibility.’ ” Amber Harding
- “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” Author Unknown
- “The basic building block of good teambuilding is for a leader to promote the feeling that every human being is unique and adds value.” Author Unknown
- “A team is more than a collection of people. It is a process of give and take.” Barbara Glacel and Emile Robert Jr.
I could go on and on with quotes, but as you can see, the theme to teamwork is to put the effort first and yourself second.
For the years I have been with Lubbock County, we have been extremely fortunate to have teamwork among our elected and appointed officials, as well as our employees. Don’t get me wrong, we have had our disagreements on issues, but because we all put Lubbock County first, our decisions have been made accordingly without compromising our own values.
Lubbock County has been recognized because of our teamwork on Vote Centers, strategic planning, Regional Public Defenders Office for Capital Cases, Lubbock County Special Needs Defenders Office, and so on. None of these efforts would have come to fruition without teamwork.
As elected and appointed officials, along with our employees, we owe it to our citizens to develop teamwork strategies to be the most efficient and effective form of government.
See you soon!