In One Piece, Monkey D Luffy’s quest to become the king of the pirates is anything but a solo one.
Throughout the series, he gathered a motley crew, under the banner of the Straw Hat Jolly Roger. With Luffy’s Gum Gum powers, Nami’s resourcefulness, Zoro’s fighting prowess and Usopp’s shooting prowess, they make a formidable team indeed.
However, beyond combat, these individuals succeed because they have each other’s backs.
This doesn’t mean that they agree with everything we say. Rather we should look for those who build us up and encourage us to keep going when things get tough. Some examples of good support systems are study groups, religious groups and of course, Shadee.Care’s online care groups. (Find out more here)
Not every group hits it off to a perfect start. Even if you share perfect vibes, most groups will go through stages of growth. If you are a One Piece die hard, you’d notice that D Luffy’s team went through rough patches too.
Here are 4 stages that most groups go through. Can you identify when the Straw Hat Jolly Roger team went through these stages?
1.Forming:
This is the initial stage, when the group members are first introduced to each other. At this point, everyone is probably feeling the ground and reserved about sharing too much.
2. Storming:
This is when members have warmed up sufficiently and are beginning to test out their dynamic as a team. They explore the boundaries of their role and voice their perspectives, at the same time analyse others’. Opposing viewpoints and disagreements can arise.
3.Norming:
As familiarity grows, the members start building a sense of trust and loyalty towards each other and their leader. They feel more comfortable in their position in the team and seek to cooperate with one another.
4.Performing:
Members are now able to work together seamlessly and efficiently to achieve their common objectives. Everyone is secure and confident in their place in the team, the goals of the group have been clearly outlined, and the leader of the group is able to effectively guide and facilitate the discussion while encouraging the participation of their teammates.
One way to find a good group is to contribute and create the type of culture that you want in a group. So act as you would want others to act towards you.
It’s always good to open up first about what you are going through so that others will know where you are and can support you. Sometimes, we may think that others don’t care because they aren’t responding to us immediately. This may not be accurate which may lead to distorted thinking and perpetuate negative feelings. So it is also good to check what is also happening to the other team members and if they are able to hold space for you at that time.
Respecting your support mates’ opinions, their time and boundaries, would in turn create the respect they will have for you.
Actually, once you are in a caring space, all these things will naturally fall in place. No need to think too hard about it. Join a care group by Shadee.Care now.
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