There is an I in Team

Originally published on www.cnmsocal.org.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the use of the word “we” in meetings. You know what I’m talking about…

“We need to get those numbers up this quarter.”
“We need to make sure this report goes out on time.”
“We need to talk with the Program Officer about the grant deadlines.”

I want to stand up and yell, “WHO IS WE?”

Because all too often the response to the we’s is lots of head nodding and “Yes, we need to do that.” And then everyone leaves the meeting thinking that someone else is responsible for making things happen. The follow-up meeting comes and no one can remember who was supposed to do what and nothing has happened.

The next time someone says, “We need to…” say, “I agree. Who will be responsible for making that happen and by when?” That might sound simple, but when you say this, you might get, “It sounds like you’re volunteering. Great! Make that happen.”

Making sure that responsibilities are assigned does not mean that you are responsible for everything. Saying no doesn’t come easy to everyone, but remember that the mission is on the line. If you are not the best person for the job or if your time is stretched too thin, then ask that someone else take the task on. If you can’t do it for you – do it for the mission.