The gear that seemed useless

In teamwork, even the smallest gear matters.

“What does he even do?”

“He’s part of the group, but no one knows why…”

“He’s invisible.”

We’ve all thought it, at least once.

Because let’s be honest, there’s always someone on the team who seems to be doing less than the others.

And yet, at the very end, it’s that same person who rereads the final document and spots something.

A missing zero. Just one zero.

But it’s not a detail. It’s a gap. A cliff.

Without that zero, the budget collapses, the margin disappears, the deal risks falling apart.

And the strange part? No one else noticed it.

Because the human brain, when tired or too focused, tends to ignore what it assumes is already there. Scientists call it inattentional blindness. The mind filters what it thinks it knows, and sometimes… the zero truly vanishes.

And that’s when you understand: in a team, it’s not about how much you contribute.

It’s about when and how you do it.

It’s like in the old mechanical watches.

There are the big, visible gears, the ones that drive the hands, that everyone notices.

And then there are the tiny, hidden ones tucked in a corner.

But remove even one of those small pieces, and the whole watch stops.

In a team, we don’t need everyone to shine at the same time.

We need trust.

Trust that everyone, each in their own way, is keeping the mechanism turning.

Even if they do it last.

Even if they do it quietly.

Even if they do it with nothing more than a zero.

---

Nicola Arnese helps teams and professionals recognize and value every contribution—even the quiet ones. Through business coaching, talent coaching, and group coaching, he fosters a team culture built on trust, complementarity, and the importance of how and when, not just how much.

You're welcome to schedule a free, non-binding coaching session to access a pro bono coaching cycle. He offers these sessions during his free hours to ensure no conflicts with other business responsibilities—some scheduling flexibility may be required.