Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars – Les Brown.
A great quote and concept, that doesn’t always blend in well with teams.
I grew up in Canada and from the age of 7 there was nothing I loved more than playing hockey. As a goalie, I reached the highest level of hockey by the time I was 15 but I didn’t last there for more than one season.
Looking back I know exactly why my ambition was cut short and I have taken this tough lesson with me into the workplace team environment. See for me I wanted to become what impressed me most on the television, goaltenders being the star of the game. I remember one time, we lost 10 – 0 to an American team which clearly destroyed us. For me it was one of my most exciting games because there was so much action and I was the center of attention. So after the game while the rest of the team was feeling down and out, I was feeling awesome. I remember having to hold back my smile at times. I am convinced this is a major reason why I was not able to deeply connect with my team mates and my coach.
Shooting for the moon is fantastic but it should not supersede the team spirit attitude. I am pretty sure that I was cut not only because the other goalies were plain better but also because of my attitude. When we lost the game I was not dancing and singing but I was me focused and this comes across. Conversely, when the team won and I played poorly, I was unhappy.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that your team mates can pick up even subtle cues that are given off when you are ‘you focused.’ In the work environment the same attitude runs rampant. Imagine when these two atmospheres mix. The company you are part of is going through a challenging period. You come to the office feeling proud about what is happening in your personal life. As you might see, your excitement can be mistaken for a lack of empathy and anti-team. Your organization may win an award or close a big deal and because you weren’t the center of attention, you may not share in the victory. Again although subtle this has the power to fracture a team.
So shooting for the stars is important but in the team environment it is about the team shining, not just you the player being the superstar. When the team shines you shine, but when the only goal is for you to be a star, you let your team down.