The "Why" in Team

It's often been said that "There's no 'I' in team" and that the individual should put the good of the team above their own individual gain, but why is this? Recently, after I completed the Goruck Challenge, a friend asked why do an event like this as a part of a team vs an individual race. My initial gut reaction response was a righteously indignant "because teamwork is good." After a bit, this question caused me to think deeper into the nature of teamwork and why working as a part of a team is beneficial.

Let me give you a bit of background. For me, working as a part of a team has always been a given. I drank the kool-aid early on this one. Growing up, there were only two reasons I was ever allowed to get into a fight. The first one was before my first day of first of school starting first grade, my dad pulled me aside and said that he didn't care if anyone said anything about him, but if anyone said anything about my mama, well I needed to take care of that. He informed me of the second and only other reason I could justify fighting when I started playing team sports at age eight. He told me that if there was ever a team fight I better be the first one off the bench. Giving to the team, sacrificing for the team, placing the importance of the team over the importance of the individual have been common themes from my early childhood well through my adulthood. The importance of teamwork is one of those truths that I always took for granted and never challenged, until now.

After thinking about it, working as a part of a team has on many times been one of the most frustrating things I have ever done. Most likely almost all of us can relate to being on a team where at least one person didn't do there share forcing the rest of the group to pick up the slack for them. The slacker or slackers on the team would either get a free ride and enjoy all the benefits for which everyone else had worked, or would drag the team down to failure. So again, there's still the question, why would a hardworking self motivated person want to be a part of a team? The answer to that turned out to be pretty simple. Working as a team is also one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done.

The standard motivational saying is that team stands for "Together Everyone Achieves More." Even though some members of a team may be more skilled or in better shape than others, when a group of individuals truly come together and form into a team, the whole is always greater and can accomplish more than the sum of the individual parts. The key to teamwork is not that everyone necessarily gives the same amount, but that everyone gives as much as they can to the team. If I'm pushing through a grueling workout and look over and see someone else that may not be in the same shape as me that's pushing even farther outside of their comfort zone for the team, and thereby pushing themselves for me, it inspires me to push farther. When you get a whole group of people that are all pushing themselves and pushing each other farther, the team is able to accomplish more than they would individually.

Another benefit to teamwork is that knowing that when pushing to your limits or past, your team will be there to help you out. In the GRC those that were feeling strong were able double back and help carry the packs of those that weren't feeling as strong. The folks that carried the extra packs at the beginning may have needed someone to shoulder their pack later in the challenge. If not they were able to keep pushing, confident in the knowledge that if the need ever came someone would be there to shoulder their pack and help them out.

My biggest examples of this have come through my experiences with the fire department. While as a firefighter teamwork is crucial to our everyday life at the crew level, teamwork for us extends around the world. In the last post I mentioned the amazing outpouring of support from firefighters from across the globe to help out and honor the fallen San Francisco firefighters.

http://nuffsaid6.blogspot.com/2011/06/june10-2011.html

The majority of us didn't know the two firefighters personally, but that we did know that we are all apart of the same team. We came to help, hoping that other departments would never have to do to the same for us, but knowing that they would be there without hesitation if we were ever in the same position.

And thirdly, celebrations are infinitely better when celebrating with a group. Individual accomplishments are great, but celebrating accomplishments as a group is the gift that keeps on giving. When celebrating team accomplishments, you also get to celebrate the amazing bonds that are forged among the team members through shared experiences. Usually, the harder a team has to work together, the harder they have to push themselves and each other, the stronger the bonds. When this happens, the team becomes a community, a family. Even though you may be separated by your teammates by time or distance or both, you can still continue to inspire them and be inspired by them. Teamwork transcends beyond a single event or season and extends into the rest of your life.

June 10, 2011

June 10, 2011 was a very interesting day. It was the day of the memorial service for the two San Francisco Firefighters that were killed in a house fire last week. It was also the 10 year anniversary of the very first day I worked on the line as a firefighter for my current department. Everything about this day both humbled me and reminded me what a truly incredible honor it is to be a part of this community and family.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/06/10/funeral-for-fallen-firefighters-draws-thousands-to-san-francisco/

As I was getting off work that morning, I drove up to our training center to meet up with other members of my department. We were sending two engines up to SF to be a part of the procession. Each engine had space for 6 firefighters. Because we had more people that volunteered to be a part of the procession than we had spaces for, we had a lottery system to chose who would go. My name happened to be one of the ones chosen. In addition to this we also sent two engines and a truck to run calls in the city, along with other departments from all over the bay area to give all of their department's members a chance to attend the service. Our union chartered a 50 seater bus to give rides to anyone from our department that wished to attend the service. Many more of us carpooled or took the train to the service. This was just one department out of the many that were in attendance that day. Estimates put us at 5,000 uniformed personnel from all over the country, all over the world standing at attention and saluting as the flag draped caskets were carried into the cathedral.

As the rigs in the procession wound their way through San Francisco to the cemetery in Colma, several times I looked out the window in amazement noting that there were fire department rigs as far as I could see both in front of us and behind us. The news reported 50 rigs, but there easily must have been a few hundred. Just as amazing was the show of support from the public. Every over pass was crowded with people waving american flags and holding homemade signs to show their support and gratitude for Vince and Tony. Others on the sidewalks lining the route stood at attention, or brought their children dressed up in firefighter outfits.

http://novato.patch.com/articles/view-of-sf-funeral-procession-from-novato-fire#photo-6527041

Sometimes with all of the politics of late, I tend to forget that the citizens of our communities consider us a part of their extended families as well. It was truly touching to see this incredible show of support.

After the service, as I drove to my academy class reunion, I could only hope that all of this offered some small degree of comfort to the friends, families, and members of SFFD who are grieving the loss of two of their brothers.

At the reunion, we all were that much more aware of the lifelong bonds we forged together 10 years ago, bonds that remain strong regardless of how long it's been since we might've seen each other. We shared stories and laughs and were that much more appreciative of the time we've had together, and the times to come.

Firefighters Vince Perez and Tony Valerio, thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

To the friends, families, and members of the SFFD, my thoughts go out to you and I offer my deepest condolences.