Team of Individuals

High performing teams are made up of great individuals. Those individuals have to do their part to be a great team. So what does it take? How do you prepare to do your part for the team?

Think about teams you've been a part of or have seen that were successful. What characteristics did they have that enabled them to be successful?   Here is a list for a team of officials.....(1) physically fit; (2) solid rules knowledge; (3) mental focus; and (4) unselfishly serve. Although all are important, #4 can be the toughest and the key to success.

Unselfishly serve means you do what it takes for the team to be successful. You may get the glory, or you may be in the background. But, the contributions made by those who unselfishly serve are immeasurable. These individuals celebrate successes, lift those up who need help, and seek help for their own struggles. The great thing about unselfishly serving is we all have the ability to do it.

In Exodus 17: 8-13, two guys unselfishly served which enabled the Israelites to win a battle.......

 

(8) The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.  (9) Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” (10) So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.  (11) As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. (12) When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. (13) So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

Amalekites were a fierce tribe who often killed for pleasure.  The Israelites were viewed as easy pray for the Amalekites.  What helped the Israelites defeat the Amalekites?  A group led by God and were obedient to God and supportive of each other.

Aaron and Hur were Moses’ top leaders, his right-hand men.  When Joshua picked these two men, he picked two of the most important men to do what seemed like a meaningless job.  But, Aaron and Hur enabled Moses to maintain vigil on behalf of the army. Moses stood over the battlefield with his wooden staff in his hand and his command staff at his side. His prayerful presence aided the morale of the troops.

Aaron and Hur were supportive in their roles, even though their roles did not appear to be that significant.  This illustrates in a team, we are called to various services.  For the Israelites, Joshua fought, Moses prayed, and Aaron and Hur obeyed.  Then, by Aaron and Hur stepping up, Moses and Joshua were able to do their jobs.

As an officiating crew, that's who we are--Team of Individuals.  Each one of us has jobs/functions we must do to make our team successful.  Here are some questions to think about:

What must I do to help the team function at the highest level?

What happens to the team when someone doesn't perform at the highest level?
How can we help a crewmate that needs help?
 
"Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success."