“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” - Vince Lombardi
Everyone is an individual. They are creative in their own way. Some can write, others can speak, still others sing, lead people, organize others, and the list can go on. We can do things by ourselves and can do them well. We all have been part of a team at some point in our lives. We had to work with others and get along with people so we could do something together. Create something as a team instead of just as one person. 
Could we do the project or work by ourselves? Maybe. Too often we think that we want to be alone and not have to work with others. We are seeing a shift in the workforce as I write this, where people want to work from home. Apart from their coworkers. Working alone has some advantages and disadvantages but the key question is, can we work together?
I have been blessed to get to work with a number of people in my life. This collage is a representation of a few of those people that I got to collaborate with. I have been an individual contributor most of my career. All that means is that I was there to sell it to the client. Someone set the appointment after taking the call, that was placed by a customer that saw an advertisement, that someone created. I can go out and sell on my own, but I need someone to make the product, I need someone to deliver the product or even install the product. I will need someone to account for the transaction that I help create as well, so that everyone can get paid. Also, someone needs to write the checks to pay everyone. This could be a small company and all those jobs are held by one person. Most of the time, we need to focus on what we can do well and let others do what they do well. When we collaborate, we can bring different strengths to the table and accomplish so much more. We can work on a project together and the ideas that flow are multiplied because someone said something that sparked you to think of something else, and so on. I believe this is what spawned the saying the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
What has collaboration done for you? Have you been able to work with others to create something? We have the chance to work with others all the time, but we get to choose who we will collaborate with. Do you need to find someone to help with a part of your business? Do you need some software to help you manage your business or your team better? Do you need a coach to help you in your personal or professional life? Do you need help with marketing, HR, accounting, or sales? In the book Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy, they talk about getting people involved who can do the how instead of you trying to figure it out yourself. Isn't that one of the goals of collaboration, finding people who are more skilled at something and letting them do it?
If you are ready to work with someone on your sales then contact us for a free 30-minute conversation to see if we can contribute to what you are doing.
The end of anything is the time to conclude, summarize, and evaluate how the process, program, whatever you are finishing. Some people look at the end of a calendar year as a chance to do just that, evaluate the previous year and make some decisions and even goals for the upcoming year. We can look at the end of the year as a chance to beat ourselves up over the lack of progress or lack of goals achieved in the past year. Year-end should be simply an evaluation of did this get done or not, without any judgement. That can be hard to do. Simply reviewing the prior year to gain understanding or an assessment of where things are so that you can make plans for the upcoming year. It should be a time marker or progress check in.
Goals are good and we should all have them, and you need to check in with the progress against the goal. Do not put a lot of pressure on your year-end other than to check in. When you have disrupters that appear in your life it can pause your goals or even shift your goals. Learn to make adjustments as you go along.
I have had a few of those in the past couple of years. I started working for a company and had big plans and goals to do things. There were expectations on me as well from my new boss and company. In the two years I worked for the company a few things happened along the way. My daughter got married, my physical health needed some serious attention, my brother died, I got to focus on my mental health, and I got to focus on my family relationships. I got the chance to focus on the things I needed to without even knowing I would need to focus on them. Being with that company gave me the chance to focus on those things. Now I was not as successful with my job as I wanted to be, or they wanted me to be. I did get to learn a lot during that time and now my goals have been adjusted. I became aware of the shifting of goals during that time, and I got to learn from them and not be judgmental of myself or others during that time.
Is it time to make some changes? Contact us here or get a spot on our calendar to find out how we can work together in the new year.
How has your year been?
Have you dealt with adversity? Probably.
Did you have hardships? Possibly.
Perhaps you had your best year ever. Maybe you started a new job, new relationship, or welcomed a new family member this year.
How are you feeling about this year?
As I look over the past year, I see a lot of things that have happened. I lost my father in February, welcomed my first grandson in March, and was hospitalized with COVID Pneumonia in April. I also finished a successful first year in business, finished writing my first book, and started a regular room on Clubhouse with a friend of mine.
Life is about perspective and this time of the year is especially prone to reflecting. Hopefully, you can and will take the time to reflect on the past year and see what can be learned from it and what could be improved. This is something that you could do every month, or even every week. Reflect on the the things that have been going on and what could you have done differently? That is how we grow and improve.
I hope that you get the chance to reflect and see what a wonderful life you have, even if this year was not a great year. One of my favorite movie lines is, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it."
If you want to more information on how you can improve your sales team contact us and set up a free consultation.