As you were talking about team building and team work, it struck me that as a sole practitioner, I AM the team! There are thousands of other design professionals who are also sole practitioners, so, rhetorically speaking, where do we ‘appear’ on the teamwork spectrum?
In spite of ‘being alone’ for more than 30 years as a management consultant, I have never felt alone in my work. I am fortunate and grateful to have so many incredibly collaborative colleagues to work with and clients to interact with on a daily basis. Any and all of these people comprise the team I am a part of and contribute to and receive from in person, on the phone, via various media formats. What a blessing!
The two character traits that I have found to make this diverse team work effectively are the two-way ‘streets’ of trust and the ability to listen. I believe strongly these are inseparable and insufficient as a single catalyst in any relationship, personal or professional.
They say there’s no ‘i’ in teamwork, that’s only true in the spelling of the word. The team is made up of a diversity of ‘i’s’, which is the ‘fuel’ on which the team is propelled forward and upward.
Respectfully,
You are awesome, Steve. I love the insight that you bring to every topic! Your expertise adds so much value. Thank you.
As you were talking about team building and team work, it struck me that as a sole practitioner, I AM the team! There are thousands of other design professionals who are also sole practitioners, so, rhetorically speaking, where do we ‘appear’ on the teamwork spectrum?
In spite of ‘being alone’ for more than 30 years as a management consultant, I have never felt alone in my work. I am fortunate and grateful to have so many incredibly collaborative colleagues to work with and clients to interact with on a daily basis. Any and all of these people comprise the team I am a part of and contribute to and receive from in person, on the phone, via various media formats. What a blessing!
The two character traits that I have found to make this diverse team work effectively are the two-way ‘streets’ of trust and the ability to listen. I believe strongly these are inseparable and insufficient as a single catalyst in any relationship, personal or professional.
They say there’s no ‘i’ in teamwork, that’s only true in the spelling of the word. The team is made up of a diversity of ‘i’s’, which is the ‘fuel’ on which the team is propelled forward and upward.
Respectfully,
You are awesome, Steve. I love the insight that you bring to every topic! Your expertise adds so much value. Thank you.