[Book Review] "THE TEAM" | Modern Team Building Techniques to Hear "I'm Glad You're Here" at Your New Job
"How can I contribute to the team at my new job?"
"I'm not a leader type, so it's impossible for me to manage a team."
"The team at my current workplace feels tense, and we aren't getting results..."
In previous articles, you have maximized your "individual" power.
(Problem-solving skills, principles for moving people, listening skills...)
However, work cannot be done alone. No matter how excellent an individual is, if they do not function as a "team," great results will never be born.
Hello. I am a 34-year-old former English teacher currently working as a recruitment agent. I have read over 10,000 books, and I am keenly aware that "individual power" and "team power" are completely different sports.
*This article contains affiliate links. I hope this book becomes the best textbook for you to connect your "individual power" to team results.
The book I am introducing today, "THE TEAM," is truly a "textbook on team building" that systematizes how to create a "winning team" scientifically and logically, even without a charismatic leader.
By reading this article, you will learn how to make a tremendous contribution to your team even if you are not a "leader," and discover concrete actions to be sincerely trusted at your new workplace as someone people are "glad to have around".
In short, this book is for "people who have polished their 'individual skills' but are struggling because they don't know 'how to fight as a team'."
As a recruitment agent, I have witnessed the reality that an "excellent player" is not necessarily an "excellent team member."
They perform their own work perfectly but provide zero support to those around them
They make "correct" points in meetings but ruin the team's atmosphere
They are indifferent to team goals because they are not the leader
With this, even if individual ability is high, the overall team results actually decrease. This book teaches the "multiplication" technique to break away from such "wasted potential" and maximize team power.
[Main Topic] The 3 Laws I Used as a Former Teacher to Turn My Class into the "Strongest Team"
This book presents "5 Laws" for team building, but here I will focus on 3 points that I struggled with during my time as a teacher and that I still feel are "the essence" now that I have changed jobs.
Lesson 1: Install "Goals" using the "5 Ps"
1. Lessons from this book
The biggest reason teams fall apart is that the "direction (goal)" they are heading toward is not shared. This book explains the importance of clarifying a team's Aim through the "5 Ps," such as Purpose, Goal, and Principle (code of conduct), and ensuring they are installed (permeated) among everyone.
2. My personal experience
This was my greatest failure and my greatest success during my time as a teacher. Initially, I only told my students, "Get a 90 on the next test! (Goal)." However, the students didn't move. So, I applied the concepts from this book and first discussed, "Why do we study? (Purpose)." Some said, "To get into a good university," while others said, "To prove my parents wrong." Building on that, we set a common goal: "In this class (team), everyone will beat their personal best (Goal)," and established a rule: "To achieve that, we will never laugh at someone else's challenge (Principle)." As a result, the class changed from "studying because we have to" to "a game where we fight as a team," and the atmosphere improved dramatically. Even at your new job, try starting by confirming what the team's "Purpose (reason for existence)" is.
Lesson 2: Get the "right people" on the bus rather than "excellent people" (Boarding)
1. Lessons from this book
A good team is not a collection of "excellent star players." It is a team gathered with people who can fulfill the "appropriate role" that fits the team's "purpose" and "values." It argues that it is important not only to look at skills and track records (hard skills) but also whether the person's values and mindset (soft skills) fit the team.people who can fulfill the "appropriate role"gathered together. It argues that it is important not only to look at skills and track records (hard skills) but also whether the person's values and mindset (soft skills) fit the team.
2. My personal experience
The work of a recruitment agent is exactly this kind of "Boarding" matching. Even if a company asks for "an excellent, ready-to-work Person A," if that team has a culture of "supporting each other steadily," an individual player like Person A will feel out of place. I have seen many cases where hiring "Person B, who may lack some skills but is good at being a 'support role' for the team" actually increased the team's overall productivity. This also applies to you as a job changer. Does that company really need your "role (talent)"? It is important to have the perspective to determine if it is the "bus you should be on."
Lesson 3: Communication that builds a foundation of "psychological safety"
1. Lessons from this book
No matter how wonderful the goals or members are, if there is no "psychological safety" where you feel "it's okay to say anything," the team will not function. This book explains that to build this foundation, it is essential for everyone, not just the leader, to adopt a "listening attitude (active listening)" and "self-disclosure."
2. My personal experience
This also connects to the previous discussion on "LISTEN." In my class, I strictly enforced the rule (Principle) of "never laughing at a wrong answer." As a result, even shy students began to raise their hands, active discussions were born, and the learning of the entire class deepened. You don't need to be timid just because you are a newcomer at your new job. In fact, precisely because you are a newcomer, you should honestly self-disclose (show your vulnerability) by saying, "I don't understand, please teach me." That, in turn, increases the team's psychological safety and leads to a sense of security that "this person is reliable."
Summary: Make this book your textbook for "how to fight as a team"
Let's look back at the laws for achieving results as a team taught by "THE TEAM."
Share the team's "Purpose" and align your vectors
Determine if you fit the team's "role" rather than just "excellence"
Build "psychological safety" together to maximize individual power
It is often said that this is the era of the "individual." However, that does not mean "fighting alone." It is an era where "independent individuals" gather for a purpose to create and fight as the "strongest team."
Through the previous nine books, you learned the skills to become the "strongest individual." And this tenth book is the "multiplication" technique to amplify your power from "1" to "10" or even "100.""multiplication" technique.
It doesn't matter whether you are a "leader" or not. Why not pick up this book and shine as a "best team member" in your new workplace?
▼A book to maximize your "value on a team"▼
Thank you very much for reading until the end. In this note, I will continue to share books and ways of thinking that are useful for your career from my perspective as someone who has read 10,000 books.
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