Using Groups to go Farther

Among the rural villages in central Africa, there is a saying that goes, “You can go faster alone and farther together.”

The saying is based around traveling from village to village and contains amazing wisdom. In understanding this wisdom, we can apply the lessons to our personal, business, spiritual, and every other area of life.

How we go faster.

There are times in life when speed is of the essence. Delivering messages and news from village to village was once a job for the fastest runners. To make haste, they couldn’t waste time considering the needs of others. They had to choose the fastest, most direct route and go.

We have those times too. Emergency or one-time projects that fit our expertise are often best accomplished on our own. There isn’t time to bring anyone else up to speed and additional people involved could hinder our ability to get it done in time.

The trap of faster.

Realistically though, these times of solo speed are fewer and farther between than we might think. Especially as an entrepreneur or business owner, we get caught up in an attitude of “get it done now,” without giving enough thought to how far we will eventually go.

“It’s best if I do it myself” or “I’m the only one who can do it” are used way too often and are generally untrue. Each time we elect to go it alone and not involve someone else, we handicap our ability to go farther. Our longevity is cut for the sake of speed, but speed by itself won’t get the job done.

Why we go farther together.

Longer journeys require a group or team. As a raging type-A, my first thought is that more people will slow me down and make the way cumbersome. It’s a trap. For a trip of any length there are too many tasks to complete and skills needed for me to do it all effectively. By going it alone, I jeopardize everything and risk burning out.

The strength of the group comes from the combination of different perspectives, strengths, and skills. We share a common energy in a group that doesn’t exist on our own and our endurance is much greater. Safety, awareness, and longer-lasting performance are only a few of the benefits we get from forming a group and accepting the help they bring.

This concept applies to every area of life but is most obvious with business owners and entrepreneurs. We need to form a strong group that allows us to go the distance or we risk falling flat on our faces. Here are 3 tips to embracing groups and accepting help.

3 Tips for Embracing Groups and Accepting Help:

1) Get over yourself. One of the biggest pitfalls we negotiate as business owners is the idea that we are the only ones that can do what we do on a daily basis and that teaching someone else will slow us down. The truth is; there are countless things we do that someone else could do better, allowing us to focus on our brilliance. Your cause is much bigger than you. Slowing down for a moment to increase your longevity has a bigger payoff than grinding yourself to a nub trying to do it all.

2) Form a group that pushes you. Another common practice is to form groups of people that we view as lesser skilled than we are. As unfortunate as that sounds, the idea comes from a root of fear that people better than we are will somehow threaten us. To really grow our businesses, we have to grow ourselves. Find people who are as good at what they do, as you are at what you do. Create a culture of skill, growth, and mutual respect and watch your results soar!

3) Accept that the group will change. If your business is growing, things will change. Not necessarily because of personality conflicts or someone not pulling their weight, but because not everyone will move in the same direction forever. As you grow as the business owner, you’ll find your needs changing and some of the people in your group will not fit the need any more. It is also possible that your company may cease to meet the need of a group member. Focus on where you go from that point and don’t waste unnecessary energy forcing a group together when a slight change may be all that’s needed.

Going it alone may seem daring and bold, but it frequently is the worst thing we can do. Throughout my coaching and consulting career I’ve led newbie entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners to the benefits of groups. Some were peer groups where ideas, accountability, and encouragement flowed. You realize that you’re not alone and the big picture comes into focus.

Others involved building or rebuilding the support group around them. Some of the most satisfying work you can ever do is adding productive hours to your business without adding any hours to your personal schedule. This kind of breakthrough comes with mindset work and strategic focus.

Regardless of the kind of team you need, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you are best to go alone. Embrace the benefit of a well constructed team and make sure you can go the distance.

~ PJ McClure

PJ McClure helps aspiring entrepreneurs to multi-million dollar business owners stop making excuses for their lives and start living them. He is an award-winning speaker and the best-selling author of Flip the SWITCH: How to Turn On and Turn Up Your Mindset .

You can download a copy of Flip the SWITCH for Free by clicking here.