The3LawsofTeamwork.mp3 - powered by Happy Scribe

You're listening to the Mental Notes Podcast. In this episode, Founder, Scott Dow, explains the three laws of teamwork.

One of the best examples of teamwork in history happened about 160 years ago in The Oregon Trail. The only way to get out West was by wagon train. This was before the railroads. People from very diverse backgrounds would band together and endure unspeakable hardship to follow the American dream. To do it, they had to work as a team. So I'm going to use this example to explain the three laws of teamwork.

The first law is this, people have to want the same things. They've got to have the same vision and they have to be headed in the same direction. Wagon trains were made up of all types. There were fur traders and mountain men. There were missionaries and business people. There were minors headed for the gold rush and immigrants just trying to join families out West. And there were more than a few fugitives, people just looking for a fresh start.

This diverse group all wanted the same thing. They wanted to go West. They were headed the same direction. They were headed across The Oregon Trail. Here's the first one in a nutshell, if people don't want the same things they have no reason to work together. People need a reason to work together, and that reason is a shared vision.

The second law is this, people need to be worried about the same things. Here's a psychological fact. Whatever you value you worry about. If you value money, you worry about saving it. I really value my daughter and that's why I worry about her all the time. Tell me what you're worried about and I can tell you exactly what's important to you.

The people on The Oregon Trail worried about the same things. They're worried about crossing the mountains before winter set in. They're worried about disease. They're worried about floods and rivers that overflowed. Here's the second law in a nutshell, when people are worried about the same things they work better together to solve problems because they're motivated by the very same fears.

The third law is this, people need a reason for being there. Everyone has to serve some useful purpose. It was a diverse group that traveled The Oregon Trail, but everyone had a job. There were what they called "pilots" that drove the wagons and buffalo hunters that replenished food. There were cattle drivers that guided the herd and cooks the prepared meals. There were blacksmiths, midwives, and if you're lucky, a doctor. But everyone contributed in some way. Everyone had a role.

Here's the third law in a nutshell, if you don't add value to the team, the team won't engage you. They'll have no time for you. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

So The Oregon Trail ran from Independence, Missouri to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. It covered about 2,000 miles, and it took about five months to make the journey. In all, about 400,000 people made the journey. They were farmers, miners, and ranchers. They were outlaws and missionaries. They were business owners and fur traders.

You can't get a more diverse group working under tougher conditions, but they demonstrated the three laws of teamwork. They wanted the same thing. They worried about the same things, and everyone had a meaningful role.

In this album, we'll explain how to promote these laws, but let's start with this. Never assume that people want the same thing or worry about the same things. Just because people work together in the same company doesn't mean that they share the same goals and values. You have to constantly reinforce and explain goals, and your values have to be meaningful. They have to resonate with each individual on the team.

A salesperson has about as much in common with a developer as a fur trapper has with a missionary. But if they want the same thing and they worry about the same things, they'll find the motivation to work together and to solve problems together.

Listen, it's easy to discount these three laws of teamwork. They're just too simple and make too much sense, right? But when you put a team under stress and the team begins to break down, look to these laws for guidance.

Remember, teams break down when they start heading in different directions. People no longer have a shared vision. Teams break down when they start worrying about different things. People no longer have shared values, and teams break down when people start skirting their responsibilities. They no longer have mutual accountability.

So focus on these three laws to navigate whatever your version of The Oregon Trail is. If you do, you can even get salespeople and developers working together, I promise. Good luck.