SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TEAM PLAYER

First, let me start by saying that the earth has been structured to function and operate in teams. Now let me shock you further, the world wasn’t created by God alone,…it was created by his team.

‘ and God said, LET US make man in OUR image and after OUR likeness’ GENESIS. Before that the Holy Spirit, we are told hovered over the deep, before the word went forth.

Secondly, man being designed to look and act like God, was made to function in teams. ‘ it is not good for man to be alone, I will make him another helper’ GENESIS.

Contrary to most of our belief, team work is not limited to sport pitches or work schedules/tasks. No, team work permeates everyday of our every day living. Every man therefore is a potential team player.

Now before you would wonder why you would even want to be a team player, let’s look at some of the essential benefits of team work.

·        Division of labor

·        Pooling of resources

·        Mutual encouragement and motivation

·        Companionship

There we have it, so back to the point of this write-up; what are the characteristics of a good team player?

1.He knows the game: it has been said that when the purpose of a thing is not known, it’s abuse is inevitable. It is therefore pertinent, that at every stage or project of your life, you must know your purpose and your relevance there. A good team player must understand the project at hand, whether it be marriage, ministry, business partnership or a work related task.

2.He knows his teammates: ‘shall two walk together except they agree’ AMOS, Jesus Christ speaking says ‘I and my Father are one’. This basically connotes intimacy. There are no two ways about it, you simply cannot work with someone you don’t know, and I mean a tested and applied knowledge. Knowledge of your teammates helps you draw out their strengths and make up for their excesses.

3.He is willing to share: A good team player must be a lover, a giver and a sharer. Jesus Christ speaking says ‘all that my father has, he has given to me’. Whether it be in the form of ideas in the workplace or valued time in consensual relationships, each team player must be willing to let go and let his team member get.

4.He must sacrifice: ‘for God so loved the world, that He gave us his only begotten son’ JOHN. That same begotten son gave up his only begotten life, both sacrifices made at no small cost. A good team player knows how to put the needs of others above his, especially where it is sure to yield a far weightier glory.

5.He does his best:  A good team player does al he knows to do, suffers long, endures hardships , misunderstanding and sometimes even betrayals by his fellow team mates, but he takes it all in good stride, he ensure that his side of the out put is not affected by all these, he put his best effort to  ensure that the project is carried through.

6.He sees it through: Just before he gave up the ghost, Jesus Christ said ‘it is finished’. A good team player will never pull out of an uncompleted task. It is against his values because it is an ultimate sign of failure. He is in it from start to finish, in his marriage for instance, there is NO such thing as divorce.

7.He gets his credit: team work is always rewarded, and a good team player will always be accorded honor and recognition for the contributions and sacrifices he made.

There is always a reward!

Team work is essential to vital living, you were born alone, granted, but you were not made to function alone.

© Toch Eze. JANUARY 2011

THE PROCESS OF TIME

...And God said to Abraham being 75 at the time, leave your home to the place I will show you and I will make you into a great nation.

Isaac eventually was born by Sarah to Abraham who was a 100 years of age at the time. Now, I don’t know about you but 25 years seems like a heck of a long time to keep a promise, however what marvels me was not the fact that the promise eventually came to be, but rather the endurance level of Abraham, who no doubt deserves an award of 25 years of confident belief, loyalty.

My focus on this article is neither on Abraham nor the promise but on the 25 years waiting period.
Those 25 years represent a lengthy and uncertain period of expectancy, those 25 years represent an opportunity to stand at the edge of a mountain with a risk of falling, they represent the fear and possibility of broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations, they represent an opportunity for self development and enlargement to accommodate the promise, they represent a firm decision to stand resolute in your belief, for a better future, better hope and a better nation, those 25 years represent the uncomfortable situation that most of us are going through, those 25 years have a name and it is called ‘ the process of time’.
Sure enough, it is a necessary junction in our journey of life, some of us have been there and most of us are still there. I’d like to point out that the process of time is not a waste of time, it is merely a pause in transit to enable us offload our excesses and refuel for the journey ahead.
Don’t despise your process of time, and more importantly, don’t let any one despise your process of time. Don’t even think about compromising your values because that vision will come through and that mountain will be made low. It takes patience to stay in the process of time because like all other processes, it involves procedures.
Friend, I have just one message for you, DON’T GIVE UP! Hold unto your dream. Hold unto your belief, hold unto that promise. That is the virtue of success. Keep the faith fire burning, like any process, whether 2 months or 25 years, the time limit will come, and just like any vision with an appointed time, all we are expected to do is write and wait.
© Tochi Eze 2011