Teamwork – Yes!

This blog is a love letter to Teamwork.

Dear Teamwork,

I love you.

In my twenties I entered the world of business, certain that I was the smartest person in the room and had all the answers.  Of course, over time I discovered through many mistakes that I was wrong about that.

What a difference fifty years makes.  Teamwork, you have taught me a lot – notably that in order to succeed we need to work together.

Today I realize there are many areas in which I know very little.  Sometimes I don’t even know how to ask the right questions. For example, I am definitely not an expert on health care, which is why I am always grateful to have Daveen with me when I visit a doctor.

Over the years I’ve learned that teamwork is essential to identify solutions, and is also essential to effectively implement a plan of action.

Simply put, there is no way I can reach my goals in life without help.  It’s not only more productive, but also more fun, to work as a team.

It seems natural for us to organize ourselves into groups that share objectives. The Sierra Club, a political party, or a baseball little league are all organized around mutual interests.  We hold meetings to discuss problems, identify solutions, and put our plans into action.

For many years I’ve been part of a team at ACF Property Management, Inc.  We are a group of about forty, working together to manage commercial real estate throughout the United States.  One of the important secrets of our success is that almost everyone at ACF knows a lot more about how best to do their specific job than I or anyone else.  We work well together and we all contribute.

One of my worst fears is that one morning I will arrive at work and no one else will be here.  What could I accomplish all by myself?  Not nearly as much as we can together.

I am extremely thankful for our outstanding team at ACF, for my extended family which is always helpful and supportive, and to Daveen who is half of our tiny team of two.

Now it’s time to email this blog to a friend for editing.

Teamwork, I love you.

Alan