This week, a friend of mine asked me how I’ve been able to stick with my half marathon training for 10 weeks. She is training for a half marathon this summer and wanted to know about my formula for success.
In responding to her, I shared information from my post about what half-marathon training has taught me about overcoming obstacles. However, in doing so, I realized my previous article failed to mention a key ingredient for my training success — working with a team.
My half-marathon team is largely responsible for helping me stay on track with the training program. Whether you are training for a half marathon or building a business, it is helpful to surround yourself with successful, positive people. This is especially important for freelancers or solo practitioners who often feel isolated by working alone.
Through my half marathon training, I’ve discovered a few benefits of working in teams that can easily applied to business:
- Accountability. In training for the half marathon, it helps to know that my teammates are counting on me to show up. Some days, I even carpool with fellow teammates. When someone is counting on you for a ride, it’s much harder to back out. The same is true for business – teammates can help you stay on track and remind you of your goals.
- Motivation. Business can be tough. Inevitably, there will be difficult times and times when you are down. Your network can offer encouraging words during the tough times. In running, it’s great to have teammates to pick you up when climbing that brutal hill.
- Feedback. With running, it is helpful to know about products and training strategies that other runners have found useful. Businesses can also benefit from having a sounding board for testing ideas or sharing experiences. Understanding what has worked (or not worked) for others can help you avoid the same mistakes.
- Camaraderie. It can be lonely to train on your own. It is much more enjoyable to train with a team. The same can be said for business. Sometimes, it is simply helpful to know you’re not alone. Developing relationships with colleagues in your field will make your work more fun.
What have I missed? What are some other business benefits to working in teams?
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P.S. In addition to running the Country Music Half Marathon to better myself, I decided to also run to raise $1,000 to better the lives of others. Want to help educate disadvantaged children in a positive, nurturing environment? Click here to see how you can help.
Image credit: alexds
3 replies on “The Power of Working With a Team”
thanks again for your tips!
Brilliant Post Laura,All the points here are relevant when it comes to nurturing a team.I was looking to discuss another frame of reference for the people whom we don’t consider as a team but have played an important part in our lives at one or the another point.
So it’s always a team sometimes visible like in the case of Zappos and sometimes invisible like in the case of some RockStar authors like Tom Peters or Seth Godin.
We must give them credit for what they have done and the better part would be to embrace the points which you have shared above.
Thanks for the feedback!
You make a great point, Akash. Non-traditional teams (i.e. online networks) can be just as helpful as the traditional form of a team. You don’t have to meet face-to-face to get the benefit of working with others.