My grandson is still not three years of age. He goes to daycare 5 days a week and loves every minute of it. He has learned a lot, he has become well-socialized, and every once in a while I get to view my adult world through the eyes of a toddler.
He brought a magic word home a few months ago and it is now in common usage at our home. No, it is not Please or Thank you or Excuse me from the table. It is “Teamwork”. The very first time he used this word, his pronunciation was still a little infantile and it took me a couple of tries to figure it out. He was trying to move something that was clearly too big of a job for a little person. I think his exact phrase was “T-muk, peez, Gamma”. When I finally figured out what he was saying, life through the eyes of a two-year old became quite clear. He did not want me to do the job for him but he knew it was too big of a job for him to do by himself. 
But! he had learned at daycare that teamwork got just about everything done. Two years old, folks!
Just when in life do many of us forget this lesson? We get independent, we get proud, we lose sight of the fact that co-operative effort can accomplish so much… when all we need to do is ask.
I have recently rediscovered Teamwork in my adult life as well. I jumped in with both feet when I discovered this whole concept of on-line business building. I jumped in with both feet, full of daring-do, only to find out my feet were no longer on firm ground. I struggled, I kicked and splashed, I looked around for a life-saver and came up, smack-dab, against one of my most-ingrained personality traits. I was independent; I had lots of friends but was still a bit of a loner; I was a good problem-solver… but… yes, but… all the problem-solving in the world won’t help you when you are out of your milieu. I threw money at my needs: more courses, more options, more angles… but it was like putting one band-aid on top of another when what I really needed to do was clean up the site and find a doctor.
“Is there a doctor in the house?”
Here is the place where I admit I had been living with the doctor in my back pocket right from the start. When I signed on to learn on-line business building from one of the most respected leaders in the field, I did not dig deep enough to find out that Teamwork is the basis of everything she offers. I went to a weekend workshop in her city and learned a ton of stuff and renewed my commitment to make this work. I met some of the names I knew from webinars and social media and had a nice time. Eight months later I went to another weekend workshop in her city and what a difference! The team-mates I had politely observed from afar (didn’t get involved because they were head and shoulders ahead of my knowledge base) met me with hugs; people I had met eight months earlier were excited to see me; and then sometime early on in the weekend, team-mates realized I had a specialized knowledge and I was sought out repeatedly for help, explanations and advice. Whoa! How did this happen?
Perhaps you can see what happened next. With eyes wide open, I realized that all my needs in this on-line business building adventure could be met from within my original network… if only I opened the doors. If only I stood up and said, “T-muk, peez”.
As I write this article, I am just two months past my eye-opening weekend. I post every night on our group page on Facebook and I don’t think a single post has gone ignored. When I ask my team-mates for critiques, they are quick and constructive. I try to do the same for them. I communicate off-line with team-mates quite often as they seek my advice and support. It is hugely empowering to know my viewpoint matters and is appreciated. If you can handle one more metaphor…. It is like I have been home for quite some time now, but just recently took my coat off.
As for my grandson, I will admit I take advantage of his commitment to T-muk. When I want him to clean up toys or help with a chore, I ask for T-muk and he is right in there. I am making it my personal contribution to the up-bringing of my grandson to make sure he never loses sight of the value of T-muk.
As for you and me, I am now firmly entrenched in this valuable entity called Teamwork; I invite you to join me and kick-start your business building efforts with my team. I am confident when I say “There are none like them!”
Message me at this quick link: http://agnesknowles.ca/contact/
Photo credit: http://donnaperuginichildrensauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/child-holding-hand.jpg
T-muk is the essence of progress! And besides, isn’t it much more fun to buddy up with like-minded people to share, encourage and celebrate what’s important together? I plan to use t-muk as long as there’s a t-m around me! Loved your post, and it’s another life lesson that proves that teaching can come from the youngest among us!
Wow, if a two year old can get the entire concept of teamwork down, what on earth is wrong with we adults! We get so prideful (sometime after two years old) that we can do it ourselves, then it becomes an ingrained habit. Because I just recently discovered the power of teamwork myself, I’m still trying to shake off the lone ranger persona I unwittingly developed! Wouldn’t it have just been so much better if we had learned more than please and thank you at two years old? I’m spreading this to my grandchildren!!! Excellent! Thank you!