Leaders Ask Their Teams for Help

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Maybe your “to-do” list has grown into a five-page dissertation. Or does the pile of work on your desk keep growing? Have you ever sat down and hoped someone would come to your rescue?

Here's why I ask. I found myself in a situation that was causing me frustration. Would you please let me explain?

My husband and I live in a state that is no stranger to hurricanes. So if you guessed Florida, you would be correct. In September of 2022, Hurricane Ian was heading our way. The forecasted path of the storm was to make landfall in our area. As a result, we were on high alert. Everyone was out buying gas, water, batteries, and additional supplies to weather the storm.

As I went from store to store to purchase a few additional supplies, I began to feel overwhelmed. Finally, driving home, I began reviewing my list of things I still needed to do. I realized I didn’t have enough time to complete the long list of items.

Although the School District was closed for students, the schools were opened to serve as shelters for displaced residents. So, while my neighbors were preparing their homes, my husband and I were at work. I was out supporting our shelters, and my husband was shutting down and securing his company.

While driving home, my husband and I discussed putting up our storm shutters. We realized it would take a few hours for him to complete the job. Pulling into the driveway, I just felt overwhelmed.

As I flopped on the sofa, I heard my neighbors outside talking. So I forced myself to get and see what was going on. To my surprise, they had a team of people helping them put up their storm shutters.

I called my husband to tell him what was happening, and he asked me to talk with our neighbor. So I put on my shoes and went outside to ask them how much they charged for their service. I explained our situation and asked for their help. The next thing I knew, the team was at my house putting up our shutters.

When my husband arrived home, he joined the team. Over the next couple of hours, new members joined as the original team members left. While it still took a couple of hours to put up the storm shutters, the group took care of multiple homes instead of one.

Guess what happened after the storm had passed? That’s right, our neighbors came by and removed the shutters. We are blessed to have wonderful neighbors who come together to care for each other.

As I reflected on the situation, two lessons stood out to me. First, build a committed team. While we didn’t know every neighbor on the team, they were committed to helping their neighbors.

The second lesson was to have a clearly defined purpose. As new members joined the team, the team’s purpose did not change. The goal was to help as many neighbors as possible prepare for the storm.

“Many hands make light work.” -John Heywood

As you think about your “to-do” list or the pile of work on your desk, I want to encourage you not to give up! Instead, find your team and join together to increase your productivity.

Are you asking your team for help?

YourLeadershipGuide,

Kim

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