"That's Not Us"

Aside from bad grammar, organizations should want to make clear distinctions between "that's us" and "that's not us". We should work to ensure that our team members understand that teamwork, communication, respect, hard work, energy, and a positive attitude are our core values.

Conversely, team members must understand that selfishness, disrespecting or demeaning management or team members, laziness, substance abuse, and anything but an "all in" attitude are "not us".

Having played basketball years ago, I had a sophomore teammate who was an outstanding player and could have easily complained about his lack of status, playing time, or role. He never once complained, accepted his role and performed it magnificently, and was ultimately twice named MVP of the Middlesex League and earned a scholarship to Maine.

Being a team player isn't easy sometimes, especially when you may feel underappreciated or poorly understood. Knowing the right questions to ask can make a difference. Insteady of asking "why am I not playing more", you might ask "how can I improve to get more time" or "what can I do to help the team?"

It's possible that the organizational leadership hasn't fully appreciated your skills. In Coach Auriemma's book "Geno: In Pursuit of Perfection" he acknowledges that "sometimes I'm a jerk." But he challenges players and pushes them to achieve their best. He has the track record to justify his methods; without it, he might just be a jerk. For most of us, we need to have the insight to know when to change others versus when to change ourselves.