I was able to participate in a 24-hour planning workshop with colleagues from More Than Training Company. The most poignant part of our encounter was a few hours workshop where we asked ourselves what our values are and how we live them out every day. After an iterative and perverse discussion, we came to the conclusion that our values are
- Boldly vulnerable
- Me
- Towards Growth
Our middle value was called Team at one point, but Me felt more powerful in the end. In the heat of the workshop, we brought up examples of situations where our values have had a strong presence. When we talked about team, a memory from my army days came to mind. We had been in combat exercises all day. At the end of the day, the leader of the exercise announced that the next step was a quick march a few kilometres to the barracks. The announcement was met with mostly disbelieving looks, and a few frustrated grunts were heard from a few of the fighters. However, the instructor announced that the winning team would not have to undergo equipment maintenance, but would be allowed to go to the Military Home immediately after the exercise.
To give you a perspective on the attractiveness of the prize, let me tell you that the exercise had been very physical. Also, I happened to be part of a baton team and at that time (long ago) heavy bullpens were still in use, with three-metre tubes for shooting black powder bullets during practice. The bullets, known as 'shit shells', smelt nasty and came off the barrels quite badly, so there was plenty of maintenance to be done. So many of us had an above-average competitive instinct when we set off.
I suggested to a tough guy I know that we take a singlet to pull. Along the way we caught one after another of the rival teams that were moving too fast. Our goal was at the top of a steep and long hill in the yard of the company on the outskirts of Lake Vekara. On the hill we were pushing hard, but managed to move into the front position and arrive first. With pride in my voice, I clicked into position and informed the exercise leader that our team was in position. The officer looked at me for a moment and then shook his head, saying: ”Do you think your whole team is here now? It doesn't look like it to me.” I looked around for a moment and made the eerie discovery: one was missing. Confusion and lots of questions ensued. Maybe even a few accusations. I think we went looking for the missing teammate, too. In any case, before we were at full strength and I was able to make the announcement to the leader again, the other teams had beaten us to it.
The officer leading the exercise looked at me with wisdom in his eyes. No malice, no malice. Perhaps a shred of empathy, however, for he knew what I soon realised. This was a lesson that did not need to be repeated to Lintuse, but was learned the first time. A team is not finished until the last member of the team is finished. Not any earlier.
I shared my story at the workshop with my MTTC colleagues and now I wanted to share it with you. So how does this value translate into our daily lives? The measure of a true team is what happens when things don't go the way we would have liked. Sometimes it feels like a deal doesn't go through or other frustrations arise. There can be plenty of feelings of inadequacy - even fear - in the everyday life of an entrepreneur. That's when a real team takes care of its own and makes sure the last one gets there. That's why one of our values is Me.
