If you watched The LEGO Movie® with your kids this year, you probably hate me right 
now.
And let’s face it, I probably deserve to be spurned; the song ranks up there with the Electric Slide and the Macarena in terms of annoyance factor.
However, I think Lego sends us a deceptively deep message about teams that we should analyze and validate! Right now, I’m getting the unforgettable “Awesome” song stuck in my head again (noobs can click here and despise me later at their convenience).
“… when you’re part of a team …” – so few words, such profound consequences! To me, the key word here is “part.”
Lots of us are “in” teams, but how many of us are really “part” of a team?
Anyone can be in a team, but it takes a match of goals, behaviors and alignment to be part of a team: a well-oiled piece of the puzzle that provides a level of efficiency and performance that surpasses teams thrown together like random Lego bricks.
When I look at some of my son’s Lego creations, I don’t even really see the individual Lego bricks, just a wondrous spaceship, or car, or a robot penguin with laser beams (he’s a creative little devil). Anyway, that’s how it should be in a team: seamless.
“Everything is AWESOME” – not quite as philosophical, but the exclamation can be just as dramatic in real life, and just as “not-awesome” when teams are dysfunctional. The performance of teams is highly dependent upon every individual playing their part and living out their natural strengths and behaviors without conflict or rejection. Did you ever build a Lego house out of red bricks, but then run out of red and have to put in a yellow somewhere? How hard did you have to try to find a spot where you couldn’t see it so the final model would look perfect?
At Shadowmatch, we of course know that diversity and variety are also a part of life and rainbow houses look awesome too. The key, as always, is to understand the goal and to put the pieces (people) together to achieve the right result. We should all strive for awesome teams, and you’ll know when you’re fitting as part of the team.
Just try and refrain from singing the Awesome song all day if you really want to fit in. Just sayin’!
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