Leaders in the Making Teamwork – Lesson 16 Committed

Quote for the day... The difficulties and struggles of today are but the price we must pay for the accomplishments and victories of tomorrow. William J.H. Boetcker

Review – Journal #19 Over the last several weeks, we’ve learned a lot about character. You’ve been invited to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what it is that you can work on. (You know we’re not talking hair here - your hair is beautiful.) We’re actually talking about something you can’t even see in the mirror. We’re talking about the inner you. The you that you are beginning to know and the you that others see in action. What have you discovered about yourself? How would you describe your character? Of the traits we’ve studied (intentional, selfless, collaboration, communication, enthusiasm, adaptable, competent, and dependable), what do you see as your strengths? What do you see as your weaknesses? What can you do to make your strengths stronger? What can you do to turn a weaknesses into a strength?

Being committed is: willing to face adversity. choosing to keep at it. acting based on values. not relying on talents or abilities to get one through.

What Does Being Committed Look Like? When it comes to commitment, my dad has it. He’s a carpenter by trade, and he’s willing to help just about anyone with just about any project they might have to accomplish. You never know what he’ll be doing from day to day. This time around he was working on the steep roof of a 170 year old house. On Saturday morning, after a rainy Friday night, he headed out to the house on his own; his helper hadn’t shown up for work. It was too rainy to work, but he wanted to make sure everything was okay. He looked up on the roof to check on the tarp. It hadn’t fared well in the wind and the rain and had come loose. He grabbed his tool belt and nailer and headed up the 25 foot ladder to the lower roof. Here he started to fasten down the slippery tarp. The wind was blowing and it was raining gently. He started to slip. He tried to grab on the edge of the eaves trough on his way down, but couldn’t grab it. He thumped into the bushes. He was still alive. He crawled to his truck and somehow drove to the hospital. After examination, he was released, badly bruised, but okay. Rather than just forget about the roof, he headed back the next day to finish the job. He didn’t let falling off the roof stop him. Chase Fisher

Commitment? Did Chase’s dad show commitment? Was he willing to face adversity? How? Did he choose to keep at something? What? Did he act based on values? How? Did he rely on talents or abilities to get himself through? How?

Getting There Together Briefing: In this activity, each team must get their bolt nuts down a 6’ rod. The record to beat is 2 minutes 15 seconds. (This time is for 4 nuts down a rod – what would the time be for 6 nuts down a rod?) Activity: Divide the players up into four different teams. Teams should discuss their strategy. Each player stands ready with their bolt nut in hand. Upon the “GO” announcement each player must twirl their nut the full length of the rod; off the rod, down the rod, and off the rod. When the last nut is off the rod the timer stops. The team with the fastest time wins. No lubricants are allowed. Each person must twirl their own bolt nut. Try to beat your own time, or try to beat the world record (above)!

Commitment 1. How did your group do? 2. What strategies did you use? 3. Who came up with the strategy and why did you use their strategy? 4. What did it take for everyone to get their bolt nut down the rod? 5. Did you depend on the person above you and below you on the rod? 6. How did your group handle it if someone wanted to move too fast or too slow? 7. How could you relate this to the work that gets done in the classroom? 8. What techniques did you use to get everyone down the rod that you could use in the classroom or at home with your family? 9. What would you do differently next time? 10. Did you use the characteristics of commitment (facing adversity, acting on your values and not emotions, keeping at it, etc.)? How? 11. Were you still committed to winning, finishing, etc. even after another team was done?

Journal #20 Write about commitment. What does commitment mean to you? To what are you committed? Do you follow through on your commitments? Who do you know who is committed? To what are they committed? Tell about a time when you showed commitment or tell about a time when you didn’t show commitment and should have.

Take This With You... Tough times don’t last – tough people do.