I have been fortunate to grow up seeing the world from a variety of different
viewpoints.
I spent the first half of my life in India. And the second half in America. I
have learned from both Eastern insights and Western ingenuity. I grew up in the
spiritual enclaves of the East and then, I grew up some more in the capitalist
enclaves of the West. I have seen both abject poverty and ostentatious wealth.
And I have seen both of them firsthand on both sides of the world.
I have lived in times of war and in times of peace, again on both sides of the
world.
In all my travels, if there is one thing I have come to know for sure is that
change never starts at the top.
All of the most significant changes in the world — for example, the end of slavery, women’s rights, the rise of the internet and even the current passion for going green — started at the grassroots level.
Every significant breakthrough in the world was first a break from old traditions, old ways of thinking, old paradigms — where we, at the grassroots level, first shifted our worldview.
But this got me wondering ...
If we all already know this, if we are all already taught this in schools,
colleges, self-help books and talk shows, why is there so little love and
compassion in the world today?
The problem, I realized, lies in how we’re taught love and compassion. We’re taught the words. We’re taught how to talk about love and compassion. We’re taught to even think about love and compassion. But how many are being taught
how to be love and compassion?
I realized with a jolt that most people don’t know how to be love when they’re with someone they don’t like. They don’t know how to be compassion in the face of someone who has not been nice to them. And love and
compassion are not even on their radar when they’re with someone who is rude or overbearing or brutal.
just requires 3 shifts, wrote a book, travelled around teaching groups how to
ascend. but not enough of me. realized there are others just like me, equally
eager
if you are such a person, welcome to our midst. put together a turn-key game
plan. get involved at any level you’re comfortable
Imagine transforming your team — and experiencing a level of productivity, creativity and engagement that words cannot describe.
This is a very realistic goal for you when you start or join a SpreadChange gathering on teamwork.
Now, imagine ... If every team in your organization is filled with such excellence, it would transform your whole world! Everyday, as your team members walked
into your organization, they would be invigorated because they felt valued. And they would ripple that sense of worth to everyone else in your organization.
Now, you may be wondering, “How can we possible ignite this level of engagement among our team members?”
Consider for a moment two different teams —
● THE FIRST TEAM: The first team has received rigorous training on teamwork, innovation and peak
performance. They’ve climbed ropes, walked on coals and fallen back into each others’ trusting arms. They’ve learned to conduct well-organized meetings. They observe the rules of
brainstorming. They diligently track their improvements and performance
metrics. Everyone on the team can recite the organization’s mission and vision without prompting. When working together, they practice active listening. And they are careful never to give negative feedback without first
acknowledging the other person’s positive contributions.
● THE SECOND TEAM: The first thing you notice about the second team is that they don’t seem to follow any of the traditional rules for teamwork. Their meetings are
often conducted on the fly. Feedback flies in every direction, even from team
member to team leader. And if the feedback is negative it is rarely, if ever, preceded by positive
praise. Each member is so disparate in their thinking and in their style, one
can’t help but wonder how they could possibly work together. Yet, there is a
palpable buzz around this team. Things get done with remarkable speed. Ideas that wouldn’t occur to most people keep popping up routinely. And underlying it all an astute observer would see
that everyone not only respects, but also cherishes each team member’s individuality — to the extent that they shun rope-climbing expeditions because they don’t expect all team members to be able to climb ropes. While this individuality of
team members naturally generates some friction and disharmony, they somehow
seem to be able to use this friction to attain heights previously unimaginable. Even though the team
members may not be able to tell you what new heights they will attain in the
future, there is no doubt they will attain such heights. And no one on the team can imagine himself or herself
working in any other team.
Which of these teams do you think is more dynamic, more productive, more
innovative, more engaged?
There is no contest, is there? The second team, without a doubt.
What's interesting is that when you start reading about the first team, it sounds world-class,
very 21st Century. Any team that so diligently follows the
conventionally-accepted formulas for team success is worth its weight in gold.
You are not even aware that something crucial is missing until you start reading about the second team.
It's only in contrast that you can see that the first team has mostly an intellectual understanding of
what teamwork really means. They have a great grasp of all the techniques and
processes—what to say, what to ask, what to do. But they operate mostly from the head.
They don’t even realize how far they are off the mark. They aren’t even aware that they are holding each other — and the whole team — back.
If you want your team to change from the first type to the second type, you won’t find the answers in traditional books or courses. That’s because they focus on teaching you what to do and what to think and what to say — all of which lead you to becoming a team of the first type, the very thing you
want to graduate away from.
What your team needs to learn is to change their worldview — and one of the best ways, I’ve found, is through team gatherings, where everyone in your team collectively
learns to focus, not on what they do or say, but on who they are and how they see each other.
Start a Team Group Now!
SCHEDULE: Use this site to Create a Team Group for your team members. If you want to limit visibility of your
Group to those who are part of your organization, you have the option to do so.
The ispreadchange.com site has been designed to let you network with your Team Group, send them
schedules and reminders, make announcements, exchange notes.
INVITE: Invite your team members to join the Group. Encourage them to keep track of
the event on ispreadchange.com.
POST: Invite other teams in your company to pull together team groups of their own.
To promote and inspire such teams, tap into our resources for a flyer that you can personalize.
MATERIALS: For your Team Group Gatherings, the most important thing you’ll need are discussion questions to focus the gathering and maximize the
learning. You will also need Sign In sheets. Both can be accessed through the resources page.
Congratulations on bringing your team together to attain new levels of
individual and collective worth!
Congratulations on the difference you make in the world.
Aman Motwane
Yes, You Can Change the World
