The Production & Delivery Team

Matrix Key:  Financial Viability - Production and Delivery - Team

"Individuals don't win in business, teams do." - Sam Walton

Sam Walton knew a thing or two about building a viable business.  Whether your business is a small mom-and-pop operation or the next WalMart, it will not succeed without a production and delivery team that is committed to winning the game.  Take a look at how this shows up in the WholeLife Matrix.  It's not just a matter of hiring the right people and stepping back.  Business owners and managers have a responsibility to consistently coach their teams to perform effectively on the playing field.

Successful production and delivery teams depend on four key components:

1. They have a common goal.
2. They are committed to a high level of performance.
3. They can easily define and align on their purpose.
4. They have a plan and know how to execute it.

Putting together a high performance team that can deliver on the company's goals over time is a huge part of a manager's job.  Motivating your team is an ongoing and necessary process, but it is one that will pay tremendous dividends in the long run.  If your team is unskilled and uninspired, your business will fail.  Better to devote some resources to creating teams that can win the game.

Are You Ready to Win?

The Importance of Friends

Matrix Key:  Relationships - Friends

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.' " - C. S. Lewis 

When it comes to relationships, we often think only of the significant other in our life.  But what about friends?  We must also be in relationship with the broader community around us, and develop friendships that will enlighten, support, and enrich us.  A person can have work friends, school friends, church friends, friends from every area of your life, and enjoy different types of relationships with each one.

Just as with your significant other, your relationship with your friends needs to be nurtured and tended.  You may talk to some friends only sporadically through the years, and each interaction is as fun and fulfilling as the last.  Or you may have some friendships that demand more of your attention, and require additional effort to remain viable, but are worth the extra time.

The WholeLife Matrix shows that the keys to a good friendship are very similar to those of a successful significant other relationship:

1. Affinity and Respect
2. Mutual Commitment
3. Time Together
4. Common Interests

 Allowing yourself to be open to new friendships and connections with people in your environment will yield amazing results.  Because everyone needs friends to share the good and bad times, the losses and the wins.  And as C. S. Lewis points out, we each need to see ourselves in the eyes and heart of another as we navigate this life.

Are you ready to win?

Family Relationships

Matrix Key:  Relationships - Family

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven." - George Bernard Shaw

They say we can't choose our families, and yet family relationships are among the most important personal connections we will ever have.  From birth, we are connected to, and in relationship with, our family.  You could even say that without relations, there are no relationships!  So why are some of us blessed with close, loving interactive families, while others haven't spoken in years?

In the WholeLife Matrix, we've taken a deeper dive into what makes family relationships work.  In order to have a high functioning family unit, the members must prioritize the following key concepts:

1. Connection
2. Responsibility and Commitment
3. Management Structure
4. Communication

These concepts seem to come naturally to some families, while others must put more time and attention into them.  No matter what, a healthy family must value that family structure, and be able to understand its importance to a well-balanced, fulfilling life.  Your family should be a source of love and support, not a drain on your well-being.  When you take the time to be aware of how the four key concepts impact your family dynamics, you can better understand and embrace your family's unique relationship to you.

Are you ready to win?   

Post a comment - let me know how you see the key concepts operating in your family!