Sunday, September 23, 2007
The Power of Potential
Yesterday I stopped to inspect a house that is up for auction. It’s got good curb appeal and is at least 1000 sq feet more than where I’m at now. The best feature is a front room that would make a wonderful home office—complete with attached bath. Then the questions started:
Do I really need a new house? No.
Do I want a bigger mortgage? No.
Do I have the time to remove the basketball court? No.
So, with dropping shoulders I plodded home to the “disapppointment” I live in. Mind you, I’ve spent the past 5 years undergoing extensive remodeling, and my house has great curb appeal! What actually is my big “disappointment”? The lack of a dedicated office space. It wasn’t until I stopped to think through the untapped possibilities that the potential started to reveal itself.
The same thing happens when you are part of a true team. The “storming” stage of team formation is much like a home remodel—lots of confusion, tons of decisions to make, postering for position (either in hierarchy or the need to be right). But, the decisions may not be the best for the team so you start becoming dissatisfied with what you already have.
It may be easier to find a new team than to see the untapped potential in your current team members. You would be doing yourself a disservice not to think through the talents and gifts offered by team members and imagine what they are capable of creating if encouraged to do so.
As a team leader, it is through your confidence and optimism that your folks will begin believing in their potential to achieve the impossible.
Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie