A Bundle of SticksA team building manual for

ISKCON leaders

By the GBC Team Building Committee

“Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our movement successful. One section of men have already gone out, therefore we must be very careful to maintain unity in diversity, …

…remember the story in Aesop's Fables of the father of many children with the bundle of sticks. When the father asked his children to break the bundle of sticks wrapped in a bag, none of them could do it. But, when they removed the sticks from the bag, and tried one by one, the sticks were easily broken. So this is the strength of unity. If we are bunched up, we can never be broken, but when divided, then we can become broken very easily.” Letter to Kirtananda, 1973

The mission of the GBC Team Building TeamThe GBC Team Building team aims to inspire an appreciation of

team based action with ISKCON’s leadership, which will then cascade down to the various constituents within ISKCON

worldwide organization.

What is a Team?

A group of people •working together • committed • inter-dependent • sharing responsibility• holding themselves accountable • prepared to sacrifice personal views• having a common focus•willing to do whatever is necessary to be successful

to achieve a common goal or mission.

A Team is NOT

Just a group of people •who have been working in the same room, or organization, for

many years. • charged with some task, function, or project.

Srila Prabhupada gave us the 7 purposes of ISKCON- to guide us in

working as a team

All teams have these common features:

Common goal or purpose

Complimentary skills and abilities

They work together

More than one member

Special features of Successful teams:• Clear on the purpose and

committed to the goal

• Clear understanding and mutual agreement on approach

• Individual members know how to measure success both for themselves and for the team as a unit

Special features of Successful teams cont. :

• All members involved and interested •Members listen to one another,

yielding new ideas • Disagreements are carefully

examined and resolved• Genuine differences of opinion are

embraced. • Constructive feedback is welcome

and oriented towards improvement

“That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna.”– Letter to Karandhara, 22 December 1972

In our sastra there are wonderful examples of team work!!!

“ekaki amara nahi paya bolo hari-nama-sankirtane "

Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself says that I cannot do anything, alone I am helpless. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself and he wants the help of His devotees and what to speak of me. Letter JPS 1976

How does Team Building help Our Mission?

• Devotee power and the productivity of skilled individuals increase if they pull together as a team.• What are some other benefits of building teams?….

A team has two essential components:

• a) A common goal •b) A set of members who are working together

towards that goal

What makes a high-performing team?

The whole might offer less than the sum of its parts

How healthy is Your Team?

Run a health check on your team by asking yourself a series of questions.

A good team Leader:Has a clear vision of the future Communicates the vision to the team Gets people to commit to that vision.

2 essential qualities that will inspire loyalty in team members:

Trust•the team must know that the leader will look after their interests.

Respect• has the qualities and

skills to deliver. • will sacrifice for the

team • has the ability to

assist in making something happen.

Team development

What to do. Why to do it.

13 Steps to bring devotees together-- to move from being a group to a being team

Dealing with Diversity

Dealing with Diversity cont.

You generally need a range of skills, qualities and personalities to accomplish your goals. Consider this:

When Recruiting a team from scratch

Or when expanding a team or replacing a member

Dealing with Diversity cont.If there is a lack of diversity in a team the consequences could be:

• All members approach problems from much the same angle. • The team lacks fresh ideas. • Or even worse, the team falls into the

trap of ‘groupthink’ where it can envisage only one possible answer, which may well not be the best answer.

“Sometimes a variety of examples helps us to understand or appreciate the problem better. In the vase there is a variety of flowers, and that variety helps us better appreciate the idea of flowers. From any point of view, Krishna can resolve all problems.

Why just the problems of Irishmen or Englishmen? All problems. That is called unity in diversity. Our students come from different backgrounds, but because they are all in Krishna consciousness, they are unified.” Science of Self Realization 7

Developing a “code of honor”

Processes

Principles

Values

Goals, Communication and Relationships

Connect the team’s goal to Srila Prabhupada’s vision.

Teams’ Goal

Srila Prabhupada’s Vision

Enthusiastic and happy team

Goals, Communication and Relationships

Accountable&

S.M.A.R.T goals

Communication skills

Team discipline

• Reward the whole team • Reward some individual work • Encourage the team members to recognize each other’s

contributions But sometimes you may have to discipline. • Intervene with those who undermine the team • Guard against fragmentation

Team Discipline cont.

•Motivating the team• Team Discipline

Conclusion

Unless you surrender, where is the cooperation? Where is the cooperation? Just like all my disciples, because they have surrendered, so there is cooperation. Therefore this movement is increasing. Otherwise, alone what can we do?

Because you are cooperating with me, therefore I am advancing this movement. If you noncooperate with me, I am old man, what can I do? So similarly, Lord Caitanya becomes, Krishna, to invite cooperation. He says that "Please cooperate with me. Let me spread this Krishna consciousness." Srila Prabhupada discussion with Shymasundar das

Conclusion