Getting any team to perform well, requires the successful alignment of multiple elements. So which elements do you need to align? The answer depends on what your competition is. That sounds evasive and trite, but it’s a vitally important consideration. Before you rush to list what you need, it’s sensible to first ask three questions and focus on three little words.
Firstly, what are you trying win, complete or achieve? Secondly, which elements will it take to achieve that result? Thirdly, what are the winning standards you need in those areas? Once you know every detail of what it takes to win a competition, you can set out to win it.
The Winning Elements you need
The winning elements you need are likely to include several of the following: relevant practical experience, personal skills and qualifications, physical attributes, strong determination, consistent focus and winning techniques. These are all individual elements.
Your list of winning elements is also likely to include three further attributes. Three little words. Three major attributes. They are three collective elements. They are everyone’s responsibility.
What are the three little words?
Togetherness
No one team member can create togetherness, but any one team member can prevent or destroy it. The stronger the bonds of connection, the stronger the team. Divided teams cannot reach their peak performance. Togetherness is the single biggest way of maximising everyone’s individual performance and so lifting the whole team’s output.
Whether you call it brotherhood, sisterhood or family, success requires the closest connections you can build. Creating a collective identity and spending time together ‘living’ that identity, is the best way to build these bonds. The more those bonds grow from the base level of respect to friendship, then on to caring, to love and finally all the way to devotion, the more togetherness you’ve got.
Toughness
Without a collective resilience, a team won’t have sustainable success. A successful team has to develop the stamina to maintain a winning pace over the whole distance of your race. Practicing with real life (game) intensity is a great way to build the toughness you need.
Belief
Belief is the third collective element that’s vital to success. As Henry Ford once famously said “If you think you can or you think you can’t , you’re probably right. If the team manager believes in their team, the team is more likely to believe in itself. Start with convincing your team that you believes in them.
With togetherness, toughness and belief, your team can be very successful over time. Without them, it’s highly unlikely to.