It’s baseball season… The sun warms the skin (well at least in SoCal…) as the fans cheer for their favorite team (Go Dodgers!). Each team has key players that are highly skilled in a specific role, bringing essential value so their team can be recognized as the “Greatest Team.” As skilled professionals and experts, the players know there are certain sacrifices that must take place during certain game situations and they also understand their craft has to be continuously refined to remain relevant and valuable to the team. For some players, their role may completely change. Their sacrifices, strategies, and value may need to shift. The player has to undo past strategies to find new… This change allows the team to move forward, with the possibility of winning the World Series!
As an educator, I collaborate with an amazing innovative team of instructional coaches and administrators. This recent year, a shift has been recognized and needs to be implemented. As a collaborative team, we support our district and are intrinsically motivated to make the system and the people move toward the required change. Arrangers, Achievers, Content Experts, Maximizers,…have taken their roles. However, a team can’t have ALL experts with the same skillset and strengths. How will this help change to move forward? The team will then have to compete within. Team players trying to override the next player so they can be seen as a valuable member. Win-win? Competing with similar strengths makes a collaborative team come to a slow roll or even a standstill.
I recognized that my role as an arranger or even as an achiever was not going to bring value to the change needed for my collaborative team. The team was already equipped with these key players. Okay, I went through an identity crisis and felt lost once I came to this realization! I took a step back. I questioned how I was going to bring value to my team. What CAN I do? What does the TEAM need? I sacrificed my strength of achieving and arranging, that I once was recognized and valued for. I will not be the homerun hitter, or the infielder making double plays. I had to refine and shift my role. I am now in the process of finding my strengths that matter to the team. As a relator, I am able to listen, be the soundboard to ideas and frustrations… As a relator, I hold high regard to buildings relationships. As a developer, I have the positive outlook that everyone has the ability to grow, but may need their own specific pathway in order to do so. I also have recognized with the power of various Twitter PLNs, that my story doesn’t need to be contained within the educational system I am directly involved with. Maybe my struggle can empower other educators to unravel strengths that are essential for their team. I am allowing the progressive change within the educational system (in my district and throughout my Twitter PLNs) by supporting the people within. Maybe I am the batting coach or the conditioning coach helping the players become the best they can be so that the World Series can be a possibility. My strength is to create MVPs! I get to ensure all team members recognize their value!
Implementing change within the system is hard work. Implementing change upon yourself, is scary. I am still in the process of refining my value to my collaborative team. Still finding “me.” Being lost is uncomfortable, but I have taken it on knowing that I can find the right path by questioning what I can control. I have embraced the new adventure of finding me for my team!