#5: Teamwork: Moving from ‘me’ to ‘we’
“Porcelain making is the definition of teamwork.”
READ NOW
Forbes Article, “The Power of Teamwork Culture: Maximizing Your Strengths” by Andrew Collis.
This is a great article that talks about how we can build collaborative teams and lean into our individual, yet collective, strengths to become stronger together.
Have you ever wondered about the skillful hands that transform a seemingly ordinary lump of clay into a perfectly symmetrical, richly decorated, functional, and lasting piece of porcelain?
Recently I had the privilege to visit Jiangxi province, China. It’s a beautiful region known for its natural beauty. Sanqing Mountain is not far; with few people and peaceful trails, it was a welcome respite from the fast past cities I am usually in. Whilst there, I had the additional privilege to visit Jingdezhen, China, the famed porcelain village spanning 1700 years.
By nature I’m incredibly inquisitive; I’m genuinely curious and while I am not a porcelain collector, I can greatly appreciate the process that goes into making these delicate vessels.
Here’s what I learned.
I realized that that a piece of porcelain was a work of many hands.
Porcelain making is the definition of teamwork.
Each step of any production required a team of at least 6 masters, each specialized in their own area. From throwing the pot, to ensuring the rim was symmetrical - making the pot sit steady, design, painting, glazing; every pot was created by a team. Each individual was highly skilled in their specific step of the process and without one another, no pot could be completed.
#5:
Teamwork- moving from ‘me’ to ‘we’
As I walked away from the morning spent at the kilns, I reflected on how we all bring our own strengths to the various teams that we work in and with.
“Collaboration” was the word I finally settled on as I exited through the proverbial gift shop. All of these potters were masters in their own right. All of them know how to make a pot, vase, cup; yet, they also realize that when putting their skills together, the porcelain they are creating increases 10 fold in value.
In our teams, leaning into the next person’s strength and expertise allows us to achieve similar results.
On one hand it allows us to see a project from various perspectives. As each individual is bringing their expertise, it encourages us to shift perspective and reexamine what we are working on from different angles.
Since each step was dependent on one another, the idea of ‘hierarchy’ was less prevalent. Each master was both an individual, yet also linked to the next master- collectively they were a team.
Additionally, it promotes ownership in the final product; the contributions given have value both individually and also as part of the larger body of work.
What it doesn’t mean is deferring and passing off responsibility in a project.
Instead, it’s about setting aside ego and asking ourselves, “What strengths does this individual bring that not only enhances what we are doing, but I could also learn from, as we work towards a common goal?”
When I reflect on the work our consulting team does, my desire is that it’s the story of everyone who contributed- all of us ‘masters’ working together, for the creation of your piece of porcelain.
To learn more about some of our past work and how we could work together, visit our Project Samples page.
