Why Team Building Matters to Me
A few years ago, my family gathered in Ohio for Christmas. At one point, my mom decided to entertain the kids by dividing them into small groups and giving them a simple challenge: build a LEGO structure as fast as possible.
What started as a fun holiday game quickly became something else for me.
Without really thinking about it, I found myself walking from group to group—noticing patterns. Some kids immediately took charge while others stepped back. In some groups, one voice dominated. In others, everyone talked at once. I noticed differences related to age, gender, personality, and how well the kids knew one another. I started commenting out loud on what I was seeing—not to the kids, but to my sister-in-law, who happens to be a senior HR leader for large organizations.
At one point she stopped me and said, “You realize this is what people do professionally, right? You should think about doing team building workshops.”
She probably doesn’t know this, but that comment stayed with me. Not because it was new—but because it named something I had been doing and thinking about for most of my adult life.
Where My Understanding of Teams Began
Long before that Christmas morning, I first learned about the power—and difficulty—of teamwork while working in campus ministry. I helped lead a women’s house where college students lived in intentional community. We shared space, responsibilities, values, and conflict. We came from different backgrounds and held different perspectives, and we had to learn—often imperfectly—how to work through those differences together.
It was messy. It was hard. And it was completely life-changing.
Around that same time, I participated in a weeklong wilderness experience led by directors who designed problem-solving challenges along the trail. Each day included intentional reflection and debriefing—not just about whether we completed the task, but how we worked together while doing it. Who stepped forward? Who held back? How did we respond to stress, disagreement, or uncertainty?
Again, it was transformative.
Those experiences fundamentally shaped how I understand people, groups, and leadership.
Seeing Teams Everywhere
Since then, I’ve carried this lens with me everywhere.
As a sponsor for high school clubs.
As a department head in a school.
As a parent watching my three daughters navigate team sports.
No matter the setting, the same patterns emerge. Teams succeed not simply because people are talented or well-intentioned, but because of how they relate to one another—especially when things get hard.
One thing I feel certain about is this: sometimes groups just need to have fun together—and that matters. But fun alone is not enough. Cliques still form. Misunderstandings linger. Accountability stays shallow. Productivity suffers quietly.
Real teamwork requires something deeper.
It All Begins With Trust
My philosophy aligns closely with Patrick Lencioni’s work: everything begins with trust. And trust is not abstract—it’s built through behavior.
I’m especially drawn to Brené Brown’s BRAVING framework, which gives language to what trust actually looks like in practice:
Boundaries — being clear about what’s okay and what’s not
Reliability — doing what you say you’ll do
Accountability — owning mistakes and making them right
Vault — protecting confidences
Integrity — choosing courage over comfort
Nonjudgment — asking for what you need without fear
Generosity — assuming the best in others’ intentions
These aren’t soft skills. They’re the foundation of effective, sustainable teamwork.
Honoring Differences, Not Erasing Them
I also believe deeply that trust grows when we learn to genuinely appreciate how others think and work—not when we expect everyone to operate like we do.
The image of the Body of Christ—where some are hands and some are feet—has long shaped my understanding of teams. Each role matters precisely because of its differences. When teams embrace that truth, synergy becomes possible in ways that uniformity never allows.
Why This Work Matters to Me Now
When I reflect on my journey, this work doesn’t feel new—it feels inevitable.
Teamwork has been at the center of my professional life, my faith, my leadership, and my family for decades. Creating space for teams to slow down, reflect, and grow together isn’t just something I offer—it’s something I believe in deeply.
More soon on how this work is taking shape. For now, I’m grateful for every experience—LEGO races included—that continues to remind me of the power of teams when trust is present.
