This website has undergone a few modifications over the last year and a bit. In one of its incarnations I had a teamwork page featuring the following video:
From the moment I first viewed this video, I loved it. Perhaps the rowers caught my attention. Some time ago I rowed quads and I will never, ever forget that breath-taking, ethereal moment when my team achieved perfect harmony. We flew. And it was so easy. We were a team of mid-age women and one young man and, in competition, we consistently waxed teams of 4 strong young men because of our cohesion and our affinity for the job and each other. Those moments epitomized teamwork.
I have often worked alone. I put my nose down, I focus and I get the job done.
In this on-line space however, I am not in my milieu. I have proven a slow-learner, sometimes even frustrated. Until I found a team. This team has skills up the wazoo; coaches who are leaders in their fields and always seem one step ahead of the ever-changing trends that are this on-line space. They have been amazing and supportive and I could never have gotten where I am without them.
With their encouragement I began to put my accomplishments forward for review. It was a little scary at first, but after the first few reviews came in and they were either good or constructive, I realized how valuable many sets of eyes are on making something all it could be. Granted you don’t always take all the advice, but many varied viewpoints give you a more comprehensive idea of what you want to create.
In participating in this big team, I have found other like-minded people. I have bonded with some because we are Canadians. Some of my new friends are sending their message to the same group of people as I am: pre-retirement women determined to have financial independence and we share ideas. Others have the same work ethic and determination to succeed. Sometimes it is as simple as a shared sense of haha. There are many reasons why I have these new on-line friends. And out of those friendships, smaller teams have emerged.
In a small team, there is more accountability as each person shares their successes, their finished products, their growing business. You want to keep the bar high so you perform well too. As your team grows in skill and expertise, small interlocking partnerships are created. These are called joint ventures and this is when the successes really flow. You have heard the idiom “there’s no point in reinventing the wheel”. When your colleague has a product or a skill that would work really well in your business and you have something that works well in theirs, the partnership becomes bigger than the sum of its parts.
This interlocking mosaic of business skills and products is the more that everyone achieves together. More can be business acumen; more can be friendships and alliances; more can certainly be monetary gain.
Despite the fact that I have managed, and I have had successes, working alone, when it comes to building a business on-line, I really recommend joining a team. There is so much to learn, and staying on top of trends can be a full-time job. Learning all the skills from web design and branding yourself through to marketing and advertising would be overwhelming for most. In a group much of this expertise will exist somewhere and each individual can leverage off the skills of team mates. Along the way you will have found your own niche and have your own skills to offer. It truly is win-win.
Enjoy the video and as soon as you are ready to regain control of your retirement (or perhaps you just want an nice sustainable income from an on-line business…) drop by my home page and sign in to get started on your road to fun, learning, camaraderie and financial success.
Do It!!
Thanks for sharing this video Agnes! The message is indeed very powerful! Glad to be part of your team!
Glad you liked the video, Sabine. The very first time I saw it I immediately wrote to the owner and requested permission to use it!! The power of team cannot be appreciated until you try it, that’s for sure!
Agnes, I know exactly that feeling of the whole boat moving as one from my Dragon Boating – it really is an awesome feeling!
Sometimes you have to test-drive a few teams to find the right one and they don’t always have to be big teams – as any rower would know a team of four pulling as one will always beat a team of ten pulling in different directions 🙂
… and what a rush, Lorraine, to find the team, and the team mates, who can help you get to “Awesome”!!
Agnes, this is right on track! I know I have done so much more for my business since entering into a team environment, and definitely now that I am part of a small team that holds each other accountable! I’m staying tuned!
As I mentioned in my post, Michelle, having many professional eyes on your work can be intimidating at first, but a good team is only ever constructive with their criticisms, and growth does become exponential! I’m happy you have found a good team as well!!!
TEAM! Word up! Agnes, it’s especially important for those of us who work alone or out of the home, to have a connection and the camaraderie that being part of a supportive team can provide. I wholeheartedly agree with your insight…thanks for sharing!
Hey, Eryn, thanks for dropping by, and yes, there are so many advantages to being part of a team!
Oh my, so true. I think there are very few things in life that we were meant to do solo. As a health coach, I know that people don’t make lasting changes without guidance and encouragement. The same is true in the online space. Team is so key to growth and success!
After many years as a small business owner, most of the time in an environment without other people, I was ready to reach out to find that sense of community. The support, as well as all the other factors of belonging to a team that you so succinctly point out is huge! Had I ever thought that the internet could accomplish that feeling sense of team/community/tribe? Not a chance…I’m so glad to be wrong!
Great post Agnes and I love the video. I agree when you say about putting your work ou for others to critiqe. It can seen very daunting at the time, but the feedback you can get from this is certainly worth the initial pain. Although I have been part of larger groups, I have not yet been part of a smaller mastermind group. This is the next things to sort out on my to do list!
It is great to be in a team Agnes, as we all learn different things daily we are able to pass these tips and advice on. Great post, thanks for sharing.
I love the video. I am going to share the video on my site. I think it will be very meaningful for followers who come to me for virtual team success tips.
Thank you for sharing it Agnes.
You can only do so much alone. I’m an independent person, but I understand that a team can give me something I can’t do myself, and that is feedback.