Life would have been so simple if it were a cartoon movie like the Minions. Wouldn’t it be? But, not everything we wish could come true.
There are, however, some lessons from the movie Minions that we all can learn and inculcate in our life, especially when it comes to team building. After all, the one thing that made these yellow organisms so powerful was the fact that they were always together!
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So, in this post we are going to have a look at the team building lessons that we all can learn from these ‘BANANA FANS’ -
Stay curious, stay foolish
Can you recall the gaze of excitement whenever Gru comes up with some new plan or a new task for the minions? They are always curiosity to know what if? This is the reason that they are not afraid to try something new. And, that’s why their life was such a crazy adventure.
Think of your team now - do the team members get excited when they are assigned a project or task on which they have not worked before? Do they feel pumped up when a new challenge arises? If they don’t, then this is something they can definitely learn from these yellow creatures :).
Make mistakes, make them often
The fear of making mistakes is the biggest reason why we are afraid to try something new. But this was not the case with the minions. Even if they made a mistake, they enjoyed the outcome. They were not afraid to try something new! It was because of the crazy experiments they did that they were able create some amazing devices and innovations for their boss.
Inspire your team to be crazy enough to break the rules and think out-of-the-box. And, you will see the new vigor in the team to create something unique and innovative!
Happiness was their most powerful weapon
We are the most productive when we are happy. And, minions were always happy. Even in the saddest of moments they knew how to remain happy. Perhaps this is the reason that they were able to make the most of their skill. Everything they were assigned to by Gru, they took the challenge happily.
Ever thought about the happiness index of your team? Are they happy working the way they are? Your team’s happiness index can be a big judge of how productive they are. If you have not thought about it, think again and you might come up with a new perspective of leading your team.
Serious - are you kidding me?
When you are working as part of the team, you got to have fun. That’s what the minions used to do. They never took things seriously. From cracking jokes at each other to finding fun at the stuff they used to do - the minions never took things seriously. And, that’s what made them so cool!
Inculcate the habit of ‘taking things as they come’ in your team. Don’t let success get to the head and failure break down the morale. Don’t be too serious. Enjoy every minute you are working and make sure that your team does the same. This will lay the foundation for a team that can take your business to places.
The attitude to never say never
Amidst all this, however, they never said never. Whether it was flying thousands of miles to come back to Gru (in the recently concluded movie Despicable Me 3) to getting rid of those evil minions (mutated) in Despicable Me 2 - they never gave up. In the end, their togetherness prevailed and they were able to come out on top.
Sometimes we take our failures and small setbacks to the heart. However big those setbacks are, don’t let them damage your determination. If you as a leader are showing negative attitude how can you expect the team to remain positive? This is THE ONE and the most important lesson that a team and the team leader can learn from minions.
Once a team, always a team
The biggest lesson that the Minions give to the teams is that ‘once a team, always a team’. They had their differences with Gru, but in the end they knew that it is because of them that the minions had a purpose in life. Same is the case with a team. Without a leader, a team is nothing.
Being part of the team means you are always there to back their team members - you are never supposed to leave them alone. Wherever they went, whatever they did, minions were always together as a team. And, so should you.
Eat bananas and be productive!
You may laugh as much as you want, but the fact of the matter is that eating bananas actually makes you productive! It is the complete fruit that comes power packed with all the nutrients our body needs.
Don’t take it too literal, the crux of saying this is that the minions focused on keeping their body fueled so as to remain productive. So should you and your team. Eat right to remain productive.
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About Author
Vartika Kashyap is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub (https://www.proofhub.com/) — a project management software for your growing business needs. She is a seasoned marketing professional who is an expert in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. She’s been featured among LinkedIn’s Top Voices for the year 2016, and is also a contributor for The Next Web, Huffington Post & Your Story. She is also a top writer in Leadership & Productivity on Medium. Connect with Vartika on LinkedIn, Medium and Twitter.
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