Teamwork More Beautiful Than a Waikiki Sunrise

My heart leapt with joy as the sun rose over the beautiful beach in Waikiki, Hawaii.

But it didn’t leap because of the sunrise. It leapt because right at that moment I got a callback from my colleague Anna Mauldin.

It takes a lot to trump a sunrise in Waikiki – songs have been written based on lesser things. So why write about a business callback? What kind of priorities are we talking about here?

Think about a time when you really needed help. Something important was on the line for you, and you really, really needed support.

That was my situation in Hawaii. An important presentation was coming up, and I needed help with it. The clock was ticking fast, I was six time zones away from my colleagues, and I was on my way to another client site. I was busy, jet-lagged, geographically distant, and feeling the pressure.

After I briefed another, wonderful colleague, Briana Colescott about my need, she got the ball rolling and immediately called Anna. Minutes after I hung up from my cry for help, I saw Anna’s name on my phone as the call came in. I felt like the cavalry had arrived.

The feeling of relief was better than the sunrise.

Great teams are comprised of people who not only get their work done, but know how to connect with and support each other. There is a genuine sense of “we,” not just “me.” Team members sense when and where the need is, and seamlessly slot into position to help accomplish important goals.

This very organic, fluid functioning is a beautiful thing to witness or participate in. It usually creates a sense of synergy – a somewhat overused word that may even trigger eye-rolling. But, it’s true, and it’s absolutely related to high performance. Instead of people saying “That’s not in my job description,” they ask “How can I help?” or they just do it.

Ask yourself, “How do I reach out to help others? What do I do?”

The Law of Reciprocity is a law of life. Remember that when you help others, it creates a bond, in which they will show up to help you, too.

Which is why if Anna called, I would drop everything now to help.