SHARED VULNERABILITY

SHARED VULNERABILITY

Why do certain groups add up to be greater than the sum of their parts while others add up to be less?I have worked with organizations around the country of different sizes and shapes. I marvel at the success of some groups and the challenges of others.

Team culture is one of the most powerful forces on the planet and one of the most difficult things to put together and maintain. A Harvard study of more than 200 companies over 11 years revealed that a strong team culture increased the net income of those companies by 750%!

I LOVE Teams which is in part why I love hospice. We were the first to require interdisciplinary teams where everyone’s voice is valued. 

Think about the most well-functioning teams in your organization and see if they have these components:

• Safety
• Belonging
• Shared vulnerability
• Shared purpose

A shared exchange of openness and vulnerability is the most basic building block of cooperation and trust.

Vulnerability doesn’t come after trust—it precedes it. Leaping into the unknown, when done alongside others, causes the solid ground of trust to materialize beneath our feet. Vulnerability, which we naturally tend to avoid, IS the pathway through which trusting cooperation is built.

We all wear emotional armor as a warrior to protect our tender hearts. And yet, it’s my open heart that has been my greatest strength. The true character of a person and a team is revealed not in times of comfort and ease...the true character of a person and a team is revealed in times of danger and uncertainty. 

As we celebrate Memorial Day, open your heart, put down your emotional armor, and reveal yourself to another.  I am grateful for those incredible teams of men and women who faced danger and uncertainty together and trusted each other with their lives so we can enjoy the freedoms of American life.

Blessings of Love and Light to all veterans and their loved ones. And to you, Happy Summer!