Teamwork

Happy Sacred Sunday,

I’m sitting on my couch, enjoying my lake view, sipping on my cafe con leche, and planning my upcoming week.

On my agenda, it reads in big bold letters: MOVING WEEK

In case you didn’t know, on June 1st, 2023, our Five Fingers moved out of our house to begin a remodel project. We rented a nearby lakehouse where we would spend the summer. Our project manager told us the project would take about 3 months.

You’re probably laughing now if you’ve ever had a home remodel or construction project or know someone who has..

“3 months! In your dreams, sister!” you might be thinking.

At least that’s what everyone, and I mean every single person I spoke to about this project, said to us.

We got laughs, cross-eyed looks, shaking heads, and lots of warnings.

“There is no way on God’s green Earth they will finish your house in 3 months. Just. Get. Ready. You’ll be lucky if you’re back home in a year.”

You may have been one of those people!

We were also quite doubtful, but hoped for the best.

Here we are, 4 days from our lakehouse lease expiring, and barring a few last-minute things, our house is ready.

What was once open-mouthed laughs have turned to big-eyes and dropped jaws.

There were a lot of factors that had to fall into place for this kind of outcome. But on this Sacred Sunday, I want to share with you the one that has impacted me the most:

The importance of having the right team to help you execute your visions and goals. 

A team refers to a group of individuals with different skills and roles who collaborate and work together to achieve a common goal or objective. I’ve noticed that other than sports or corporations, people tend to gather individuals to accomplish goals, but they fail to build teams. 

This happens often within the medical field. When an individual is unwell, they might require the expertise of multiple doctors to address various medical concerns. Doctors specialize in specific areas and give instructions and prescriptions based on their expertise.

Yet, the different doctors may suggest conflicting treatments, which could lead to more pain and complications for the patient..

That person is working with individuals — not a team working to form a comprehensive treatment strategy for them.

WHAT DO YOU VALUE?

Months before our remodel began, Orlando and I reached out to our friend, Elika, who was a project manager and interior designer.

Elika has a full team of subcontractors who work with her on her projects.

She warned we’d have to wait for two months before she could estimate the work, and it would take two more months for her team to start the project.

Luckily for us, Elika’s timeframe aligned perfectly with our goal of remodeling during the summer.

But when the time came for her to give us an estimate, we suffered from massive sticker shock.

The budget was way higher than we’d anticipated. We consulted with various friends and family who claimed it was too expensive. We got tons of suggestions of a great cabinet guy, or a great floor installer, or a great general contractor who was way cheaper.

I shared my concerns with Elika.

“I’m not the cheapest, nor the most expensive,” she replied. “But I know the value of my work and I know the results I produce. That’s why I charge what I charge.”

As a friend, she told me I’d save money if I managed the project on my own, but also told me the risks.

Then she explained her process.

Orlando and I had to decide what we valued more:

• The price of the project, or
• The timeframe of the project, the quality of the work, and the stress level during the project.

We had witnessed multiple people manage their own remodels, and we had heard their horror stories. We’d seen budgets blown, people fired, and projects paralyzed because people failed to do what they said they were going to do.

Neither Orlando and I had the skills, experience, or knowledge to manage a project like this.

Ultimately, we valued time, quality, and management more than price. We also believed that if Elika did what she promised she was going to do — in the long run we’d save money.

Elika became the visionary leader who would build a team to make our home more beautiful, comfortable, and practical.

She nailed it. 

STARTING WITH CORE 

Looking back at this experience, I’ve once again seen the power of using CORE to produce successful results.

CLARITY – As I just explained, the first critical step in this process was to get clear on what our priorities were.

ORGANIZATION – In this case, we delegated most of the organization of this project to Elika. She designed the structure and flow of all the moving parts to ensure they did the project during the summer months. But we also worked in tandem with her schedule. I used the two months waiting time for the project to begin as the time for my decluttering marathon.

It’s not that I had time to declutter — I made the time to declutter. I also made the time to make decisions that Elika needed me to make and follow her lead. The priority from April through September 2023 was our remodel, and we organized our entire life around that priority.

RESILIENCE – A home remodel is notoriously stressful. It can be borderline painful. But I am a firm believer that the quality of your experiences is determined by the perspective you approach it with. There were elements of this experience that were draining and stressful; things I didn’t want to do or enjoy doing; moments when the tension was high. But amidst those moments, we focused on staying grounded in the bigger picture and not losing perspective.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – Of the 4 CORE skills, I honestly think that having high emotional intelligence is your super power. I believe that success begins with your attitude. When you behave as if life is rigged in your favor; when you trust in your team and show them gratitude; when you express yourself with the underlying belief that everyone has your best interest at heart — people show up in that energy. Energy is contagious and you have such power to set the tone for the people around you. High emotional intelligence allows you to do that effectively.

Do the work, surrender the outcome 

The day we signed the contract with our team, we knew we were taking a risk.

That’s why we signed a 6-month lease agreement in our lakehouse and negotiated a “no early termination fee” after 3 months. This would give us the opportunity to stay longer if necessary.

We also signed a contract with Elika with very clear provisions. There is a Spanish saying that goes, Cuentas claras conservan amistades. (Clear accounts maintain friendships). 

We did our part and hoped that things would work out in our favor.

In this case, we had an ideal outcome. But that is not always the case. Things beyond our control could have delayed the project. The outcome could have been different than what it was — but outcomes are never within our control. That’s why I don’t define success by the result. I define success by the process.

In the last few months, I have seen the power in this process:

Building the team.

Doing the work.

Focusing on CORE.

Surrendering the outcome.

Finding sparks of BLISS along the way.

Today, I want you to think about the goals you’re trying to achieve and the process you are using to accomplish them.

Are you trying to do it all alone, or have you built a team to help your visions become a reality? Having the right team will make all the difference.