I recently took interest in American football. I was more used to soccer which is what we knew in my part of the world as football. I do watch basketball every once in a long while. That happens mostly when I get trapped watching TV with others. And it is either, there is no way of changing channels without being disrespectful to others or I just cannot help but get glued to see what the outcome of the opposing team sports would be. Most sports are competitive, and they thrive by facing opponents as a well trained team.

I was watching a most-watched news show earlier today. The news show is mostly anchored by, and named after an individual, like “Tonight News By David Muir.” At the closing end of the news, the chief anchor was introduced by another anchor who handled the show on weekends and on other occasions when the chief host is unavoidably unavailable. Whenever that assistant anchor/host or others presents the show without the one to whom the news-show is named after, the unavailable host is profusely acknowledged.

So, earlier this evening, at just a bit over 48 hours to the end of 2017, the main anchor of that NEWS Show spoke through a pre-recorded video to thank viewers, advertisers and his entire TEAM on their involvements and contributions for the year 2017. He thereafter wished everybody including all viewers an early wish of HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The most important part of that thank-you video was the end-credit list of behind-the-scene participants of that TEAM. Functioning like clock-work, without profuse nightly acknowledgement and mention of names, were about a hundred names and faces of folks that did not seem to matter beyond the face that the show was named after. Some had their photos, which were snapped while on duty, shown. Others only had their names listed. In a whole year these folks worked hard to propel and individual’s name. The less than 25 minutes a day, maybe, 360 days a year, NEWS show was all about an individual team-leader until specialists and experts were now showcased. I was particularly impressed by the volume names and extent of specialized units and department that worked hard behind the scenes. One would have thought that the showed had just a few assistants. The lesson for me is, not much can be achieved by running solo-systems.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 18: Oprah Winfrey at “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” Press Conference at the London Hotel on April 18, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Vera Anderson/WireImage)

There is no doubt that most highly rated and successful TV shows or even movies, also operated in similar fashion. Faces like Oprah Winfrey, Joel Osteen, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Joyce Meyer, Steve Harvey, and their likes, have worldwide views and acceptance. Yet unknown to many, is the powerful structures of team-work that props them up to the heights they enjoyed. And, of course, every team member goes home with pays and rewards for their silent important contributions.

Since I lived in the USA, I observed that most successful enterprises, sports, TV shows and organizations worked by strict adherence to TEAM work. No successful team, staffs homogeneous-minded people, but varied-thinking individuals who have something to contribute to a picture that is Bigger than an individual goal. Each unit member is expected to specialize and concentrate on a specific duty, no matter how much such could also engage other areas of responsibilities. The important ingredient of TEAM work is to have people dedicated to specific aspects of a broad plan, assignment or purpose. These teams are never afraid to quickly FIRE and replace any individual or unit that may be hurtful to overall goals and over-aching mission targets.

I know some places in the world where most people are geared to want to accomplish broad goals, missions, assignments and purposes as individuals without specifically creating room to accommodate others’ specialized contribution. An individually will struggle to engage diverse details by him or herself, ALONE, because no one else can be trusted to produce a perfect-enough contribution. There are under-developed nations and endowed people who remain at mediocre success levels because of inability to develop TEAM systems. There can be no major accomplishments and goals in this life until there is working TEAM systems.

Our human body consist of integrated TEAM systems. A team of cells and organs are dedicated to goals of Breathing, Nerve/Sensory Services, Digestive Achievement, Audio/Video Responsibilities, Reproductive Commitments, Transportation, and Health & Wellness Emergency Agents. For each of the above named overall goal or assignment are obvious, central, or leading “names or faces” behind which are millions of behind the scene operators who are also adequately supply enough from the available resource common-wealth. Everybody may not get the same amount of resource, but everyone gets sufficiently enough. Every grumbling or complaining unit, either ejects itself from the TEAM or is sacked to avoid disgruntle cancerous service or disruptive tendencies.

Successfully working governments and governmental organizations consist of integrated TEAM systems. There are too many activities of life that any government are empowered and expected to handle as a government unit. Nobody views Nigeria, USA, Singapore or any other National government as anything else other than one united entity.  But such unit of world government tackles myriads of issues and human services that has to be narrowed down under a team of unit administrators that is service under the face of a President. A President is praised or blamed when any unit of the nation is internationally assessed, regardless than he or she may not have direct responsibility over whatever issue necessitated such fair or unfair judgement. Each government is usually organized around several TEAMs that are commissioned for overseeing details of their area of oversight. On the broader level, Federal Governments oversees States while States oversees Local Governemtns. under each of those oversees body of leaders are Departments, Ministries or Parastatals . These in turn handles issues of Health, Legislature, Justice, Education, Urban Development, Transportation, Electric Power, Agriculture, Military, Immigration, Ports, Aviation, Marine and so on and so forth. Without well coordinated TEAM work, governments cannot function as expected.

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While many government have learnt to work details of TEAM systems over hundreds of years or less, many private sector individuals are yet to see the importance and need to embrace TEAM work and its benefits into their bossy-environment business. In Christian circles, longer existing ministry organizations have embraced TEAMwork at the heart of their existence. But many startup church ministers may be trying to re-invent wheels for one-man-show ministry leadership style, instead of imbibing teamwork. Older Churches like the Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Methodist and others are still standing today because they put teams in place that works their unique belief systems. While many individuals work seamless well within government and organizational  structures, it seem very many are unaware that TEAM systems ought to be integrated as part and parcel of their intimate LOVE-life.

As we prepare for a new year, our prospective goals, plans and intentions may be fruitfully enhanced by prayerfully involving others, not because they are perfect in our own eyes, views or relative to our opinion of them. In teams, there is room for hire, fire and replace. But hopefully the hire is diligently undertaken to avoid breakdowns associated with firings. Where one individual is able to accomplish a thousand unit of success, a well coordinated team of two may achieve a 1000% more, producing ten thousand instead.

Marital LOVE would have BETTER results when activities and units of the home are clearly defined, spelled-out and laid-out, just like the human body example above. Husbands and wives have to learn to not be sole-expert over every issue of their homes. Rather, the better of the two should be allowed room to be the expert in the respective areas of strengths.

Team-work does not work by micro-managing others. It rather works by allowing each unit to work independently to produce expected results. All that the team expects of its individual is to produce the result for which the unit is established in place. For example, if a graphic artist is employed in a team of broadcasters, it will make no sense to go into the creative arts department to dictate details of expected design output. The designer should be given the imaginary picture and given time to go achieve the design within reasonable time.

True Team-work does not accommodate idleness. Every unit has to be busy producing what it is put in place to achieve. It is idleness that causes trespasses into unsolicited areas. Every Team unit should be busy achieving its purpose or such unit would have to be discarded.

As I learn more about and watched american football, I see team work at its best. The quarter back is the face and brain of the team. The success and failure of the team at any competition will be blamed on the quarter back. Meanwhile, the quarter back cannot win by arrogating superior mindset to individualistic prowess. The quality of a quarter back’s performance depends on how yielded he is to a Coach and how he or she humbly fosters a qualitative flow of esprit-de-corp team-spirit. A football team consist of a team of probably a hundred individuals, even though only eleven can play at a time.

It was amazing for me to understand that each member of an american football team is taught and nourishment-fed in direct necessity of role to be played in the team. The defenders are needed to be heavy-weight-set and fat, so they can effectively use their bodies to fend off approaching opposition. Runners are needed to be athletic and lean so they can run fast and meander in between players of the opposing team. With this team type, runners do not jostle to become defenders, nor vice-versa. The quarter back has to maintain the right mental balance and mood management because he has less than split seconds to determine winning decisions on a field of play.

De’Anthony Thomas carried the ball three times for 64 yards and a touchdown during Oregon’s 57-35 victory over Arkansas State at Autzen Stadium September 1, 2012. (Alex McDougall/The Emerald)

One more understanding of the American football that caught my fancy, is the fact that team members are switched from time to time depending on the situations and circumstances that a team face, as they play. When it is time to advance into “enemy” territory, more agile running players are brought in, in anticipation of quick penetration into the other teams end-zone, for a touch-down. Otherwise, when it is time to defend team from opposing intrusion, players are switched to have more well-built defenders who come in with their hefty shoulders to “terrorise” and stop the other fast players from claiming yards and ground within their own zone.

I cannot claim to have mastered all that needs to be known about American Football. But, I have learned enough to know that relationships and marriages can thrive better by the lessons and metaphors that the football game, Personalized TV shows, or world-renowned motivation-speaking successes entails. All of these examples worked excellently well by understanding how a TEAM plays. They show that it is important to hire right, fire right, replace right, know when to switch quickly depending on unexpected situations and circumstance, knowing to have right reactions to expected offensive approaches, knowing what to feed on in preparation to life-plays and learning all that is needed per time to successfully defend space/territory alongside teammates, who may not even be perfect at playing their own assigned roles.

True LOVE is a team work. True LOVE works with those who have team-spirit, team-rule-understanding,  and team-dedication. Team work works by embracing strenghts and weaknesses of others whether they are above or below one’s self-positioned level.

Teamwork works because people work it. It works better in several fields of life than any one-man run shows ever did. Real LOVE is not individualistic. True LOVE adjusts in every way possible to intimate one, or loved ones, in exact same way teams manage to keep together regardless of forces that are always at play to rip them apart.

In marriages, there are pre-defined roles and rules of play, according to the Bible. To not understand, or refuse to pay attention, to Bible-defined marriage guidance rules, would be to stubbornly create wrong marital work environment. Of course, marriage is a Bible stipulated teamwork for individuals who know that each party has parts and roles to play, to stop an opposing demonic spiritual force from defeating a union that could work under God. Marriage would work better for those who reasonably implements team-rules, team-understanding, team-spirit and opposition team-fighting team-strategies.

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