United by difference

 
I woke up from a nap on Sunday afternoon and immediately jumped out of bed and onto my laptop for today's topic.  It is one that I am extremely passionate about, and have put a lot of thought into, yet something that isn’t necessarily the easiest to put into words.    Now when I initially was thinking on this topic I realized this could be a very large rabbit whole if I’m not careful, so bear with me here. Today’s topic will be the importance of being united by difference.

People love music. We walk around with our headphones on and tune out to the world around us; listening to each beat, harmony or melody played, the rhyme and rhythm in the chords, some listen down to each note; soprano, alto, or tenor, that makes up the song.  An extremely skilled musician/listener/disk jockey can pick out each chord, each note and dissect it to create, remix, and/or even combine other like songs.  When I was learning piano, I notated that a chord is referred to as “a group of (typically three or four) notes sounded together, as a basis of harmony.” Well you may be asking “Jas what does this have to do with business/networking?”  My reply would be “everything”. 

While researching this topic more for this blog I ran across some really interesting articles and got to read first hand what others thought about “differences in the workplace”. I feel this topic is absolutely needed and not necessarily spoken about enough.  We go through life at times with a “one track” mind and think we are making a difference, when in fact we may be; but our impact could be so much greater.  Let’s say, this week, someone came up to you and said “enter your name here, I’ll give you $10 million if you could come up with a solution to world hunger by Tuesday” could you do it alone? Probably not.  Who would you consult with first? How would you get the research done in time? Where do you begin with putting the report together? Which country would you start with? Even as the questions begin, you would definitely need a team – your own individual notes – to work with in order to make a good attempt.

With this in mind, I’d like to give you my thoughts on “how to build your ‘A’ Team”. Throughout my everyday life, I make it a point to have very specific people in my corner at any given time, for any given reason. Here are some of my keys to success:

1. Unapologetically, BE YOURSELF. – I cannot ask someone to be exactly who they are if I’m not.  I fully understand, my strengths and weaknesses and I build my team around them. I see the big picture and fit people in according to what is needed.
   
2. Find people who have a difference in perception/opinion – I ask those around me constantly, “what can I do better?” “What did I miss?” If we saw the same thing all the time, we would never excel. Furthermore, if we agreed all the time we would never grow.
3. Find people with different skills – I incorporate others, in order to build up and encourage myself, and at times, more importantly, I build up and encourage them.  If we both do the “same thing” one of us is unnecessary, so find those who operate a little differently.
4. Find people who also have a dream – Other than #1. I find this is the most important.  If the person on your team doesn’t have something they are working towards also – even if you “can’t” help at this moment, then they are dead weight.  I understand I’m focusing on differences here but a similarity in drive, work ethic, and vision are extremely important as well.   
   

I constantly hear “You become like the top 5 people you hang around”, so make it a point to surround yourself with those who have excellent moral compass’ and extraordinary characteristics.  I began unraveling my thoughts when I decided on the goal of becoming a Master Networker.  I want to be that person someone goes “hey Jas, I need ____”, and my response will be “let me make a phone call”. With this in mind, I ask myself daily “how can I be better, and attract the best in their fields?” My team is a reflection of me.  With building a business, strategy goes to hand in hand with everything. 

Posted below this blog will be several articles to read though if you are further interested in this subject.  My challenge to you this week is to look around you and write down who is in your team.  Furthermore, list their qualities and attributes as to why they are there and how they help you to be better.  Who are you missing? Keep in mind the idea of a puzzle, what is your big picture? What qualities does your team need? How can you and they be better? As always, I would love to hear from you on this subject.  Feel free to comment below or shoot me an email.   Until next time, have a great week!
 
 
“NO MATTER What, Always BE YOURSELF!”
“What are the Benefits of Having Different Personalities & Temperaments in the Workplace?
“13 Benefits and Challenges of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace in 2017”
“The Advantages of Diverse Culture in the Work Force”
“The 20 People Skills you Need to Succeed at Work”
“Benefits of Having a Variety of Skills”