Teaming

It occurred to me today just how tightly we define teams.

Sports teams, work teams, project teams.

But in reality, we're teaming all the time.

1. Creating a community of interest = teaming. Largely on a big concept or shift to make and learn together.
2. Social networks and wider networks = teaming. Often random, often useful, we join up with others' wisdom, woes, wonderment and willing shares.
3. Solving problems = teaming. Often, we get others involved in overcoming a challenge, whether we're tightly bound or more loosely associated.

So all we say that makes a good team (like J Richard Hackman's 40+ years of research)

• Compelling direction
• Strong structure
• Supportive context
• Competent coaching
• A real team (not just a group of people)

are somewhat at play but much more loosely set, hence the difference between teaming and teams.

Teams play together often; teaming is more incidental, adjacent, random, and serendipitous.

But there's a lot to be said for how you treat yourself and others in teams that we don't always do with those outside of those teams unless we think we're teaming.

When we're teaming, it's as if, for that moment, we are a team, even if without the definition and clear shaping of it.

When we're teaming, we can show respect, appreciation, support, challenge, and co-creation even if we're not on the "same team".

When we're teaming, we can believe, endorse, iterate, and grow.

So I guess this little missive is about thinking, "Am I teaming?" not just "What team do I play on?"

I think more teaming = more positive, useful and impactful ways of being with others. Not just being on a team.