The candidate list made for interesting reading. Over fifty names, reflecting real people with families, aspirations, and hopes, were documented. As interesting as the names without roles, it was even more interesting to review the names with! The intrigue came from a single column. For each name on the list, an expert had identified a “role” for the individual. A common “home” was the area I am responsible for.
The first time I saw my team’s name, it caught me off guard. While I have had a conversation with the individual, to my knowledge we have never spoken about working together.
What attracted the individual to our team?
On what basis would someone assume that there was a good fit between the individual and group?
Why would someone want to work with us?
As I reflected on the first name, I continued down the list. First one name, then another – the same questions emerged with second. What was the attraction? Was there a link? Why? With no answers, I continued down the list.
By the time I got to the bottom of the list, I was farther away from the answer than I was at the beginning. Inverting the question, I began to reflect on the individuals that had been marked for the team. What were they like? Was there anything they shared in common?
In a story, a wisdom father healed a sick man. “Word of the healing got around fast, and soon everyone on the island who was sick came and got healed.” (Acts 28.9) Normally, there would have been no connection. At a moment in time, there was.
The people on the list are open minded, slightly on the edge, and willing to work hard. There are additional characteristics, all variation on the ones just mentioned. I have never thought of the team this way, but it fits. There is a compelling connection. As different as we all are, there is something that binds us together.
Communities reflect shared values and priorities. Sometimes the threads that bind us are compelling to others.
