Team Defined

By Ch, Col Cherri S. Wheeler

Together Executing and Advancing the Mission

Together: Team equals all members assigned to a particular staff or organization working together toward a common goal or mission. A team concept includes eliminating all single points of failure by having multiple members on a staff trained on specific duties and tasks. A team concept also allows for “all hands” call to help in large projects, when mission requirements out source manning and when events dictate. No member of the team should take offense when help is offered; nor should anyone take it as a personal affront to their abilities. All team members need to be cheerful givers and receivers of help. It is about working together!

Executing: There are multiple ways to execute most tasks; the primary person of responsibility usually will have the choice of how their projects are run; however, the "boss" must have latitude to dictate Courses of Action (COAs). This should not be perceived as micro-managing, rather, as setting acceptable parameters. The parameters could be associated with timelines, costs, persons involved, etc… Remember, the boss has a strategic view whereas the project officer has either an operational or tactical view; the views are different! Executing the mission is the end in which the team needs to strive.

Advancing: Advancing the mission includes doing those things that are mission related and not doing those things that are not mission related. To advance the mission means that everything a team undertakes should have a connection to the unit’s overall mission. Taskings come from many avenues and before anyone invests valuable time and resources to them an evaluation should be conducted to determine how the tasks fit in with the organization's overall mission. Once it is determined that a task is mission related, it is imperative that the team advance s it along. "Get 'er done, get 'er gone!" should be the mantra.

Mission: The mission of the organization is the keystone everything. If the organization has not defined its mission or team members do not know or understand the organization's mission then the organization is failing. It is the organization's leaders' responsibility to cast the organization vision; the members of the organization help define the mission; all must ensure the mission is executed on time, on target.

Can you articulate your organization's mission statement? What tasks do you perform daily, weekly, monthly that contributes to your organization's mission? What tasks do not contribute to mission accomplishment? When members of an organization come together executing and advancing the mission they become a team and they can accomplish anything.
Are you part of a team?