The Beatles… no argument, one of the most exciting, dynamic bands of all time… and for their “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album in 1967…
Lennon and McCartney worked together to finish the iconic lyrics and tune somewhere around mid-March or 1967. This song was intentionally written to be Ringo’s track for the album (I’ve always thought he was the worst singer of the bunch, but hey, that’s me). How different would the song have been received if it had kept it’s orignal title, Bad Finger Boogie, supposedly because John Lennon composed the tune by plinking it out on a piano using his middle finger.
McCartney and Lennon did a great job of penning a tune with a limited range for Starr to perform, except for that last note… and McCartney spent hours with Starr to help him nail it.
Now, don’t miss this… they wrote, “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends”… and the guys who could write and sing wrote a really simple song for the guy that couldn’t sing… They recognized Ringo’s weakness, but even though his voice made stunted the growth of lab rats when overexposed to it, Ringo’s friends came along side him to help him out, creating one of the most iconic songs of their generation… BUT HOW?
1) “Their strengths as a group made up for the weakness of one member.” Ringo could have been upset that he didn’t have the poetic heart or musical vision of McCartney and Lennon; he could have been insecure, jealous or sullen. Instead, he received the gift in song from his friends, welcomed the mentoring so he could hit that last note, and “VOILA”, music history was made!
2) “They turned an individual weakness into a group strength through teamwork.” It would have been just as easy for the other stronger members of the Beatles (again, my opinion!) to look for someone more talented than Ringo to fill his seat on the bus. But Starr’s quirky behavior and goofball antics made him the favorite Beatle for many fans. Knowing that he carried a huge fan base, they were able to use his “weakness” (voice) because of his strength (his following by his fans). Yes, it meant writing a very simple tune… and extra hours in the studio giving voice lessons to help Ringo hit just one note. But it wo!
Who is it in your team that you see as weak? Take a hard look again… only this time look for a couple of other things:
A) Ask yourself, “How can I, how can WE help our team member?” What strengths do you or other team members have that could be leveraged to magnify the influence or success of the team if they were used to help a weaker or less talented member of the team?
B) Look for their hidden or “not so hidden” strength. Every one has one or more. Just look. Ask questions. Pay attention. Be open minded. FIND THEIR STRENGTH. Then help them to shine. All of you, work together to help that person, and in turn help the team/group/ organization to shine.
You will “Get By With A Little Help With Your Friends!”