TEAMWORK TRULY MATTERS!

One of the strongest values I have always believed in is "teamwork". It is something I learnt as a schoolgirl when I represented my district in netball, the sprint and relay races, and in school debates. Often the teams were made up of students from different schools. Initially, it seemed odd because our schools were fierce competitors against each other! Yet together, we produced great results to beat teams from other districts - that early lesson taught me something I NEVER forgot. When we put the team goal above any individual glory, the joy is greater and the results achieved are beyond what we can achieve based on our individual talents.

I remember one project very well when I was first posted to Hong Kong. Working in head-office meant there were a few thousand employees located in different locations. So we did not know each other. All of us had to work with people of different cultures, different languages and different life experiences. About a month after my arrival, I was assigned to head a project that was over-budget and in a deep mess.  I was given the mandate - "Make sure it succeeds!" So there I was in Hong Kong, hardly knowing anyone in this head-office set-up and supposed to achieve a little miracle...well, life was definitely not boring. 

At the first meeting, there were about 15 members from different revenue management units and IT units - all Hong Kong Chinese with the exception of my boss, a Briton, who was there to introduce me - a Malaysian Indian. I smiled and all I had were about 15 solemn faces looking at me like I was going to cause them a lot of unnecessary headaches! The first 6 weeks, I had a massive headache every time we had our weekly project meetings. The answer each week was, "It cannot be done." Now putting a sales person (me) with "IT professionals" is like mixing oil and water. We just look and perceive the world differently. 


One day in exasperation, I asked, "Is it impossible to be done? How is it everything cannot be done? I will NOT accept this answer! Now I cannot help you if i do not know the problem. We will NOT be losers!" And lo and behold!...Answers came from around the conference table - the problem was not that it was impossible to do. it was just that there was not enough budget resources (people and money) appointed in the IT units and revenue management units to do what needed to be done. All their projects are based on the no. of heads (persons) and man-hours per project (no. of hours they can devote their working time to a project). I was dumbfounded as they never brought these issues up all these years because no one had ever asked them this question before. I ended up having to resubmit a revised project and budget paper which took close team effort.

At this point, we realized, the dynamics our  project team had to be changed. While i remained the project leader to deal with senior management and the overall co-ordinator, various portions of the project had to be owned by different units to ensure what needed to be done was done. As long as I dealt with the top brass, they agreed to "own" sections of the project timeline.

We only had TWO goals - as a team, we will always be customer-focused (not project-focused) AND we will be successful within the project-time frame. Senior management did not really believe we could do so. (I was told that at the end). I am not sure from where I got that inner belief - but I had faith we could do it. Failure did not cross our mind and heart. We believed in each other and in ourselves. There was no place for self-ego or self-glory. 

From that day, everything changed. We enjoyed our meetings. There was even lots of laughter and open, honest communication. All of us had a stake - we were a TEAM. We trusted each other and there was unity. There was no "I". Needless to say, we worked beyond the so-called designated man-hours. Everyone did more than their share and we worked together even when upper management had problems and office politics went on. Our project was successfully implemented worldwide in 16 months instead of 2 years. We had surpassed all expectations! 


It was a great feeling of joy! I will never forget the lesson I learned from this nerve-wracking project and we never looked back. To me, a team means everything. In all the teams I have been in /or led, much inspiration has to come from the leader to include and bring out the best in each person. It is crucial.

Teamwork is absolutely essential in ministry. We, Christians, are called to be a COMMUNITY as the Word of God says - "All of you are Christ's body, and each one is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:27)  We must have genuine care and respect for every ministry team member because it is impossible for us to carry out Christ's mission for the world solely on our own.

The words of St. Paul always stirs my heart me on why I need to aspire to have fraternal love and a truly open heart - "I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell I may have the gift of inspired preaching ; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains - but if I have no love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Each of us is told: "For the attitude you should have is the one Christ Jesus had...He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death - his death on the cross." (Philippians 2:5,8) 

Well, obviously there is no point serving in a ministry if I do not live up to what God wants of me! What is more, in case our self-egos and desire for self -glory is clouding our actions, then surely it is really time to reflect what scripture says - "Whoever wants to boast must boast about what the Lord has done.'For it is when the Lord thinks well of a person that he is really approved, and not when he thinks of himself.'" (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)

For those of us in leadership positions, we need to care and respect every person's contribution - not being selfish and having personal favourites but in valuing each person in our ministry team for who they are; a human being with feelings; a person who matters. Being a "servant leader" as those of us in ministry should be, we must act with hearts that are filled with God's Love. "Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs." (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

We must always be inclusive. That is blessed, holy, joyful teamwork! 

The YouTube video "Better As A Team" is definitely worth reflecting upon...