"Me" Players

Every WINNING TEAM has three groups of players:

The STARTERS who directly add value to the organization or who directly influence its course;

The Bench players who add value, indirectly or who support the starter; and

A core group within the STARTERS who are the folk without whom the team would fall apart.

These groups define the TEAM—they are the folk who are devoted to the vision of the TEAM and the organization they support. There are other folk in the organization whose only emphasis is themselves. You can readily recognize them because their conversation is always about ME as opposed to the TEAM or the organization. You will find that the “ME” non-TEAM members not only detract from the energy that could be devoted to forward momentum but also consume needed resources that could be devoted to the TEAM, such as excessive absenteeism or tardiness which puts more work on the Team Players, or their constant talking and workplace antics that distract TEAM PLAYERS from their work, or negativism that only serves to bring every one down.

One of my goals is to turn these “ME” non-TEAM players around by not focusing on their issues and to keep in front of them the objectives of the TEAM. All of us can help these “ME” folk by encouraging them to be part of the TEAM. We can’t save everyone but we can with effort get more folk on the TEAM. I need your help!

Positive Confrontation

Many people avoid confrontation. I know I see a lot of that in our Department. What I see more of is that we are more willing to talk about others as opposed to providing positive feedback to them. Conversely, I have also seen some of us provide constructive feedback only to be maligned and mis-understood. If you are lucky enough to have someone invest in you by providing feedback count yourself blessed!

Some folk don’t provide feedback because they fear being dislikes and rejected. Others are afraid confrontation will make things worse by creating anger and resentment in the person they confront. But avoiding confrontation always worsens the situation. Positive confrontation can be a win-win situation, a chance to help and develop people if you do it with respect and with the other person’s best interest a heart. Positive confrontation is a sure sign that you care for a person and have their best interests at heart!

We can all be ASSERTIVE as opposed to AGGRESSIVE! WINNERS have developed the ability to know the difference and act upon it. The difference is that aggression always leaves victims—assertiveness will lift them up.

Forever

A week ago, my best friend lost her son-in-law very suddenly. He was 31 years old and had been married to her daughter for 4 years. Her daughter had just finished her residency in Internal Medicine and she and her husband and her 10 month old baby were moving so that she could start her fellowship in cardiology. This young couple had their whole life ahead of them on Thursday, July 17th but by Friday July 18th everyone’s life had changed FOREVER.

FOREVER is always guaranteed and are you prepared for it? Yes it is tragic that someone so young dies and it’s tragic that this young woman has to now forge a life for herself and her child without her soul mate. What strikes me is how her family has rallied around her and ensured that as she is stumbling through this life changing event she will never hit the ground. That’s what family and friends do -—they ground you so that if you stumble you never hit the ground. Take care of the relationships you have with your significant other, your children, your extended family and friends! They are very precious gifts that sustain us through the good and bad times — our FOREVERS are always around the corner. As you face yours count yourself blessed when your family and friends shore you up!

Influence

Our influence has less to do with our position than with the life we live. It’s not about position but production. Not the education we get but the empowerment we give. It’s about your credibility and whether you can be the same person when you are experiencing success versus challenges.

Do you make decisions based on how the decision affects you or how the decision may affect others more positively than the decision affects you? Keep in mind always that a rising tide lefts all boats! If you are a giving person, your hand and heart are always open and ready to receive as well.

A lot of folk work harder on their own image than their integrity. Winners always emphasize the success of a process and everyone’s contribution to that success. If we spend our entire time try to promote our own self interests and “watching our backs” we will never see the opportunities ahead of us. Your success is guaranteed because you are a WINNER! Seize your opportunities today and BELIEVE in your HOPES and DREAMS and watch them come true.