"Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." — Vince Lombardi. And that group effort and behavior must be guided by healthy principles. EOS® calls these the Core Values. These define and describe the group’s identity.
Group identity statements are essential for businesses and teams. A healthy team defines its unique identity statements that describe how they interact and work together. Examples for meetings include starting meetings on time, maintaining a single conversation, and avoiding distractions. Others include:
being open, ensuring we are curious and value other people’s experiences and perspectives,
being honest fosters trust and vulnerability, and we create safe environments for sharing, and
Celebrating wins and learning from failures encourages a growth mindset, as famously quoted by Michael Jordan, "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
While perfection is unattainable, these identity statements serve as aspirational guidelines. They help team members recognize and value each other and their behavior, driving personal growth and teamwork.
By establishing and consistently reinforcing these identity statements, teams become more functional, collaborative, and cohesive. The practical application of these principles, including correction and accountability, is the key to successful teamwork, aligning with Vince Lombardi's belief that individual commitment to a group effort is the foundation of success.
Putting these identity statements into practice by correcting each other and holding one another is what gives them power. We’ll address this as the fourth ingredient to team health.