Together we are EOS! Individual team resources to build a great community

Teams in the EOS ecosystem are heads down, one goal in sight - Unlocking the EOSIO Blockchain! - See Thomas Cox recent article here

Excitement is high, but so is stress.

"No sleep until EOS" - said an EOS community member in one Telegram group chat. The Launch is still a month away!

Leading up to this historic launch an opportunity lies hidden from view...for now. However, if recognized and grasped, this opportunity will strengthen and bolster the EOS ecosystem for years to come.

No, it's not the ERC-20 token. This opportunity lays outside of a blockchain, in the real world, between us as community members, and even within us as individuals: It is our capability to produce value by working well with others, because -- well, we need each other.

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Team effectiveness - the golden goose that keeps on laying golden eggs

During this past year a community building process united by proof of stake has resulted in at least 100 EOS teams (BPs, Dapps teams, community support, service provider etc.) which have formed from scratch. Some team members have worked previously together but for the most part, teams are a mish-mash of personalities, skills, backgrounds, and opinions.

To add to the complexity, teams are spread out across the globe and speak many different languages. .

Each individual teammate has the same thing in mind, the successful liftoff of the EOSIO blockchain, come the first week in June. When this happens we can all collectively breathe a sigh of relief.
But, until then we have to launch this rocket, EOS Mainnet.

To be successful EOS needs every team to execute, produce value, and show the world what the new Internet of Value really is! There are many separate-but-interrelated of team goals out there:
Block Producers are looking to be elected to the top 21, community groups are looking to serve the community, dapp teams are looking to release working code on the new internet of value, and much more.

To reach our team goals each team needs to be effective and to have excellent leaders and team dynamics. We can only strengthen EOS, if our teams, team leaders, and we ourselves are effective and consistently open to learning.

Team members need to align their personal and professional goals with their team goals.
Speaking for myself -- as part of the EOS Go team I believe in serving the EOS community.

Our team effectiveness can always improve if we are humble, if we take note of our strengths/weaknesses, offer trust to our teammates, and if we become self-aware. This last point is particularly important and often overlooked: we need to be sure our own selves are in good shape so that we can bring our best to the team. We are not helping anybody if we neglect ourselves to the point where our performance suffers.

So --a gentle reminder from me, in these times of stress, managed chaos, and pressure.

Do those things that feed your mind, body, and soul.

Some of mine are: listening to music, reading, working out, spending time with my family, connecting with nature, and going to church.

Here are some key aspects of team effectiveness and leadership to keep in mind during these times:

5 Must-Have Attributes Of Every Successful Team (Borrowed from “Forbes.”)

Clear Vision

The best Little League teams are led by a big-picture vision: to win the game. But they also know how each member can uniquely contribute to that goal. When they play, they don’t just aim to win—they also focus on how each player’s strengths advance that goal. The best workplace teams function in the same way. They’re motivated by the company mission and have quarterly or yearly goals they strive to meet. But even more importantly, each team member knows the value his personal contributions lend to the big picture. When team members focus on delivering the difference only they can create, teams become strong and successful.

Inspiring Leader

Have you ever seen a successful Little League team led by a lousy coach? No—because when a team is stuck with a coach who is chronically late to practices, occasionally skips games, and doesn’t focus on training and improvement, they don’t get far. The same applies in the workplace. The best teams are led by leaders who communicate the vision, lead humbly and are open to feedback and criticism. They allow and encourage employee development, they leave the door open, and they aren’t afraid to delegate and give the team some credit. Without an inspiring leader to set the tone, many good teams struggle to be great.

Team Cooperation

Little League teams of age ten and up can be great examples of team success. But Little League teams of age eight and under? Not so much. The difference there is in the cooperation and coordination of the players. When the kids don’t know what positions they play (or how to play them), there is no game strategy or success. But as soon as they learn their individual roles and how to leverage each other’s strengths, they become a strong team. In the workplace, too, the teams who know how to work together and divvy up project tasks gain the most from their group’s unique mix of knowledge and abilities.

Constructive Communication

Teams are always a work in progress. That’s why the best teams are open to feedback and actively encourage constructive communication. Just like Little League coaches and players giving one another praise and advice, the best teams in the workplace often check in with each other to ask for perspective and ideas throughout their projects. A willingness to ask for and receive input characterizes the best teams. It shows the team members respect one another’s opinions, and strive to incorporate diverse viewpoints to become more productive and efficient.

Appreciation All Around

In a Little League game, every time a player runs a base, catches the ball, or (once in a blue moon) hits a home run, his whole team cheers. It’s not just the coach who gives each player a pat on the back. The kids recognize each other too, cheering and high-fiving to celebrate their small wins and big victories throughout the game—on the field or from the dugout. There’s a myth surrounding recognition: that it’s the manager’s job. But the best teams don’t wait for leaders to appreciate—they recognize one another’s great work regularly. When everyone knows their efforts are valued, they produce more great work. And that cycle, from recognition to great work to appreciation again, is what successful teams utilize every day to empower and inspire one another.

These are the five simple, universal attributes of successful teams. Whether you’re leading Millennials, trying to engage remote employees, or working on retention throughout your organization, stop and consider if your teams exhibit these characteristics. If they aren’t, it may be time to rethink some things. After all, the keys to team success are simple building blocks even kids can master. Whether you played Little League yourself or not, we bet you’ve intuitively known these key indicators of team success long before you entered the business world.

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Here is an amazing resource from the University of Waterloo in Canada which details "Processes and Attributes of Highly Effective Teams"

The 2nd part of this article will continue with a focus on team communication, including the best ways to hold scrums/team meetings, and also individual one on one meetings, and what should come out of them.

Good luck for now everyone, GO EOS!

Bluejays
EOSRad.io and EOS Go Co-founder

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About Bluejays

Bluejays chooses to protect his anonymity by not using his real name, in order to avoid conflicts with his full-time job. He loves EOS and brings his 15+ years global experience in the IT industry leading teams, to power EOSRad.io and EOS Go media and operations. He is a father and husband and makes his home in Florida.

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