T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Accomplishes More

I recently attended the Florida Parent Educator's Association Convention at the Gaylord Palms and walked away from the event with several excellent pages of notes. One of the most enthralling ideas that really struck me from the convention was the simple philosophy of working together as a team.

I've used statements to my children (and often my husband) that while working on a task, if we work together to complete it, the job will be finished quickly and we will have more time to do something fun. This statement generally works for about five minutes, when I feel like I repeat myself to get everyone into tip top shape. In the end, I'm usually finishing up a task, while my boys, yes, including my husband, run off to play a game.

So, the statement 'Together Everyone Accomplishes More' really puts the family back into perspective. Since the convention, I've rephrased my statement to be the acronym for TEAM: Together Everyone Accomplishes More. My kids will often ask me if I can take them to the park or to get some ice cream. My response can now be, "I'm in the middle of a task, together we can accomplish more, so if you help me, we can fit in your trip to the park…." This pretty much works, if the kids really want to go to their intended destination.

It's often easier to pick up the clothes left on the floor, or to make the beds for the kids because we know how to do it and it's a quick task that can easily be accomplished by "super-mom;" however by including children in the process of making beds and preparing the home for the start of the day, it allows them to feel like they're part of a real team.

From a different perspective, let's say work: It's easier to make copies that are needed (even though it might be someone else's job) because you know that they're done and will be ready for you during your presentation the next day.

I'll admit, I generally just finish up work so that I know it's finished and so that I don't have to rely on someone else to get a job done. My perspective has changed though in trying to organize life and really focus on making areas of my life a team effort. Instead of saying yes to every request, I ask someone for help, so that together we can accomplish what we hope is a successful event. How easy would it be if someone turned around to ask for your help on with something, and you came back with a suggestion to make that task or activity a team effort. Including people, especially your family really does establish a great team.

I remember hearing the statement, "There's no I in team," thinking how silly that sounded, until I was put in a situation where I was the only one in a group working together. You really see then the importance of the statement and the idea of together everyone accomplishes more can be used in such a variety of situations: work, school, home, church… the list just goes on.

I have many responsibilities on my plate. I often feel like an octopus juggling all of the activities that my family is involved in. Yes, often things fall through cracks, but now, I can (and you can too) create teams to keep items from slipping. And you know what, you can always count on a team.

I think this approach will become a major advantage to me over the next few months as I evaluate goals for my family and activities that we'd like to participate in, especially in our homeschooling group. I think everyone can make their lives filled with a team dynamic and hope that the TEAM acronym inspires you as much as it did me.