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Strategies for Success: Teamwork is crucial to success in business
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Helena to receive the 2012 Montana Ambassador of the Year award http://www.matr.net/article-54372.html from Gov. Steve Bullock. What an honor and privilege it was to receive the award from the governor and the Montana Ambassadors http://montanaambassadors.com/ . As I mentioned when I received the award, "It is all about we, never about me."
In the February issue of Billings Business, the 40 Under Forty section profiled successful young business professionals. In many cases, the winners cited other colleagues, family members, spousal units and friends, or in some cases, other competing businesses that helped them become the business and/or individual that allowed them to win the 40 Under Forty awards.
In my case, many prominent local and national business leaders and Montana Ambassadors were instrumental in helping me achieve any modicum of success that I may have. Montana Ambassador and Plenipotentiary, the late Butch Ott, the former president and CEO of the Billings Chamber, helped me integrate into the community. Ott and the late Charles Brooks, the Chamber lobbyist, helped me learn the landscape of the Montana business world. Kathy Hildebrand Boelter, Lisa Perry and Melody Schwartz are all Montana Ambassadors in the Billings chapter. We have all worked on a variety of matters and issues that relate to business and education in Montana. Luckily, we have made great progress in that regard.
John Marchi and Kim Champney, both Montana Ambassadors, were on the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council when I was the Dean of the College of Business at Montana State University Billings. Their insight and sage counsel allowed our students to be more competitive in the business world after leaving the university. MSU Billings College of Business students won the Ruffatto Business Plan competition at the University of Montana in 2004 — a first.
When the Students in Free Enterprise Team from Rocky Mountain College called last year and sought some assistance for their regional and national competition, I said absolutely yes, our firm was in to help. I asked Rocky board member Rod Svee and President Mike Mace for some help in finding the resources needed for the team. Svee and I both spent several hours mentoring the club leaders on what success looks like and how to achieve that success. Our help must have been of benefit. The 2012 SIFE team from Rocky Mountain College placed first in the SIFE Regional Competition in Seattle, and third in the SIFE National Competition in Kansas City, Kan.
In each and every instance of the activities cited above, it was a team that was involved in the success of the organization. It took more than one person to achieve the goal, whatever that goal may have been.
In your business, who is your team? Do you have a team? If yes, do the collection of individuals function as a team? Remember, there is no "I" in team. It is all about a diverse collection of different, unique and special talents and characteristics that everyone brings that allows for success. Reread the 40 Under Forty articles again. Here you will find how many of those successful business people have utilized teamwork to achieve greater accomplishments than just going alone.
By Dr. Joe Michels
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