Team Dynamics And The Apple Pie Illustration

When it comes to building and participating within a team, it helps to understand the power of the collective mentality. 

Within the collective mentality, we all have different strengths, different approaches and even different speeds.  As you embrace and build your TEAM … you can LOVE the common vision but also as the FRENCH say …  vive la dif·fé·rence … meaning … an expression of approval of difference.

HOW DO USE YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD TO BEST SERVE OTHERS AND INFLUENCE THEM TO DO THE SAME?

APPLE PIE ALA MODE … The Apple Pie Illustration

This is an illustration that will help you determine what kind of gifts you have to offer.

Imagine: you are sitting at a dinner party, having a wonderful time. Everyone is dressed wonderfully and it is a great occasion. A new friend, who is trying to make a good impression has a freshly made piece of apple pie sitting perilously on the edge of the table in front of her. Suddenly, it dumps into her lap. 

Seeing this … what is your instant first reaction?

Most people have one of seven initial reactions:

1. OMG … Horror! You jump to help clean up. This is a serving person.
   YOU ARE A SERVER … your first impulse is to volunteer, assist others.
2. Say that’s OK, you buy her another piece of apple pie, in fact buy one for everyone.
   YOU ARE A GIVER … your first impulse is to give of yourself to smooth the journey for others.
3. Don’t worry, we will fix this, you recruit others to help and start assigning tasks, you get a mop, you get more towels, you, help her to the bathroom, you do this.
   YOU ARE A LEADER … You organize, coordinate and lead.
4. You smile and proclaim, that looks great … and you dump your apple pie onto your lap.
   YOU ARE AN ENCOURAGER … You make people feel better.
5. You get a sad look on your face, hurt with them, feel their embarrassment and pain.
   YOU ARE KIND … You are empathetic.
6. You instantly see a better way to eat apple pie, where to set apple pie while you eat it. If everyone just follows these 5 steps this will never happen again.
   YOU ARE A TEACHER … see things clearly, understand how to show others a process.
7. That is the dumbest thing, I have ever seen, You should never have set that there in the first place, in fact that was so dumb, you deserve that falling in your lap! 
   YOUR GIFTS ARE FORESIGHT & PROPHECY … you think like an engineer and foresee problems. You help with planning.

If you see yourself in one of the above, consider it your gift. Recognize that how you respond determines your approach to life and will help you understand why certain tools work for you and certain others will work for others. 

We all see the world from slightly different angles and sometimes it requires different approaches to get to the same place.  Sometimes, even though what you are saying is your truth, you are not another’s messenger …

Which one are you:

• server
• giver
• leader
• encourager
• empathetic
• teacher
• planner

You can get more than one answer to this question and these over-simplified examples, but they are a GREAT place to begin. In an ideal world you would start with what you are best with and surround yourself with others that have these qualities that are not you strongest ones. 

A MASTERMIND TEAM made up of  a group of WHOLE, PERFECT, STRONG, POWERFUL, LOVING, HARMONIOUS AND HAPPY PEOPLE that view life with many different supportive talents, makes for a stronger TEAM!

THERE IS POWER IN THE DIFFERENCES for people headed the same way!