Getting by with a little help from friends

The drive home from work every night offers a great opportunity to review the events of the day – what happened, what got done, what still needs to be done, approaching deadlines – all that good stuff.

These days, my plate, as they say, is very full. And I love it. I love the challenge of meeting multiple deadlines, juggling projects, creating new ways to promote our brand and our products, and just generally running crazed through the office. It’s like being one of those plate spinners; trying to keep any of the plates from falling and crashing to the ground. So far, so good. In fact, really good. It’s working because I am surrounded with great people – from co-workers, to vendors and suppliers, to friends and family – these are the people who bring out the best in me, challenge me, support me, push me to do my best work. It is a team effort. The secret to success is to surround yourself with a great team.

Now, everyone has their own idea of what identifies great people for them. Asking the following questions is what works for me.

For example, how do they treat others? Do they have a “can do” attitude? Do they have a sense of humor? Are they willing to go the extra mile? Will they challenge you? Do they ask a lot of questions? Are they always eager to learn? How do they handle conflict and challenges? Do they view missteps as opportunities or failures? Are they passionate about their work? Do they bring out the best in me?

You need create your own list of criteria; one that works best for you. Who do you want to be on your team? The people we surround ourselves with matter. They matter a lot.

Jim Rohn, entrepreneur and motivational speaker says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Think about that for a few minutes.

Go team!

Posted by MJ Thomas