Just read this article that featured Google doing research on common denominators of successful teams.
It really struck a chord with me.
Rather expectedly (at least from my POV), a mixture of well-educated and/or creative people was never one of the key elements that attributed to success.
No.
Y’see – you can be filled to the brim with great knowledge and ideas; but the control here is if you let what’s in that amazing brain of yours come out or not. Are you able to openly share with the others what you’re thinking?
If you’re not – then there’s honestly no value in whatever value you were initially capable of bringing in.
In fact, the only value you might have right now is feeding the ego of another teammember who has a compulsive need to appear superior among everyone else.
And it’s an IMMENSELY HUGE pity.
Because then your infinite possibilities become limited according to another mere mortal’s permission; you’re only allowed to be as good as their ego would allow it. There’s so much you can offer – but you don’t dare to offer anything because of this fear installed within you. Because you somehow believe that your safe place is to serve the ego of such a person.
Psychological safety
is CRAZY important if you’d like for a team of (good) individuals to thrive and therefore bring about success to the team.
I say good individuals because not everyone wants the team to succeed – they’re only interested in themselves succeeding, even if it means making the team as a whole fail.
The most fundamental trait teammembers should possess is understanding that the individuals make up the community; not the other way around. You and I both are part of and contribute in whatever way to the community; no community should be revolved around and contribute to that of only one or few individuals.
Because when a community (or team, in this context) revolves around individuals – other individuals find it impossible to find safety because they’re not seen as an integral part of the group. It immediately becomes hierarchical and therefore they’re easily dispensable.
And when people don’t feel safe – they don’t perform.
Why? It’s simple, really.
When you don’t feel safe, it’s only natural of you to be in survival mode. Everything you do is defensive and has the hidden intention of proving your worth – rather than actually demonstrating it.
There’s a fine line between proving and demonstrating. When you’re out to prove yourself – you start stepping on people, you start doing things just for the sake of doing them. So you do the bare minimum, with adding little sprinkles on top only in areas where you know others will notice.
But when you’re openly demonstrating your worth – it should come naturally. Because you do it for you. Every facet of your work becomes immaculate, because you did it for you. We are all capable in our own ways and it will show, if given the right circumstances.
And that’s when the truely unique contributions that you’re capable of start coming about.
You no longer contribute to please another individual – you contribute to please yourself, with the right intent.
And when that happens, people do MUCH better work.
When you’re given a safe zone to demonstrate your true capabilities (even if they’re wrong sometimes), you only get better.
And ultimately, the team gets better. ✌🏻
And that’s really the beauty of it. When others see that it’s a safe zone, they will also find it easier to want to do well in their own strengths and not get busy burying their weaknesses.
They don’t find faults in having weaknesses – because hey, we all have weaknesses. They see the beauty in their own strengths and others’, and are able to openly appreciate them because in a safe zone – appreciating others doesn’t equate to depreciating yourself and making yourself look bad.
And when people start feeling safe about their weaknesses (AKA vulnerabilities) and confident of their strengths (AKA potential contributions) – amazing things happen.
You simply cannot expect people who work under fear to perform exceptionally.
When people start fearing for their mere survivalibity, they’re too busy trying to craft ways to staying alive versus actually working.
And that’s where regardless of how amazing each individual is on paper – they’d fail to effectively contribute to the team, because you just controlled/closed the flow of their genius.
Geez. Blogging about this on my mobile at 4AM because I read the article in the loo – must’ve really struck a chord with me. 😌
This evident need to be worshipped and superior stems from deeply-rooted insecurities and self-loathing; and I find that pretty pitiable. 😕
And to a larger extent, actually quite repulsive.
Oh well. Life goes on. The world is filled with countless interesting characters. 🤗
P.S. I’m not particularly calling out anyone here; other than my own personal experiences, most of the post is based on my own logic from perceptions drawn over years – it’s not exclusive to anything/anyone. So please don’t take anything too personally.
…but if you insist on taking it personally and the shoe fits… 🙄 I could say 99% good things about you, but you’d still want to kill me for the 1%.
Don’t think this battle is worth fighting.
XOXO, G.
