A Team that Jumps with Trust and Camaraderie!
Posted By Donna Fisher on April 9, 2009
My friend Rob Longenecker emailed me a link to a video encouraging me to take a few minutes- out of my busy day – to take a look. With a slew of emails to go through, I almost deleted it, but decided instead to take a quick peak. And then I was mesmerized and inspired.
What I saw was a group of girls performing synchronized jump roping in a packed gymnasium. The audience was cheering continuously, as the girls performed one awesome feat after another. They jumped individually, in pairs, and groups. They jumped while kicking, skipping, on their knees, on their backs, while doing flips and cartwheels and all beautifully in sync with the music.
As I watched with wonder and great appreciation, I thought of, not only the amount of devotion and practice that it has taken for them to perform so flawlessly, but also of the trust, camaraderie and teamwork required.
Trust:
Just one misstep by one person could have a major domino effect. They have to trust that every single girl is going to stay in rhythm and do her part. They count on each other to practice diligently, to be mentally and physically prepared, and to be committed to the team’s vision and goals.
Camaraderie:
The root word of camaraderie is comrade which means someone who shares a similar interest or activity, a companion. Camaraderie is the fellowship, connectedness and joy of participating together. This group definitely conveys this sense of joy and connection.
Practice:
Probably all of you who are reading this can jump rope. It’s not that hard. Unless you are jumping for 6 minutes straight, to music, while doing routines that involve precise coordination with other people. The willingness to devote time and energy to a skill and accomplishment generates pride and confidence in oneself and the team.
Teamwork:
One person jumping rope and doing fancy tricks can be impressive. When you have 20+ girls performing routines together part of what’s so awesome is what it takes for them to be such a connected team
Yet probably it’s not about jumping rope for you. So what is it about – for YOU?
How can you use this example to improve your team’s performance?
- What kind of trust is required for your team to run smoothly?
- What would create a greater sense of trust amongst your team?
- Whatever your profession is, have you practiced “your craft”, “your skill” continuously?
- What is “the thing” that, with practice, can make you a more valuable team member?
- What is “the thing” that “with practice” would take your team to a higher performance level?
- What can your team do to feel more connected and having a greater sense of camaraderie?
- How well do your team members coordinate their activities with one another so that they work together effectively?
- Does your team have a clear picture of the overall vision/accomplishment and is everyone on board?
- Does everyone on your team know exactly what “their part” is that is a crucial part of the whole team’s accomplishment?
Donna: That is a very insightful article about teams and what makes them great. One thing I have noticed about successful teams in working with them is that they are not afraid to challenge team members if they think they are doing something that holds back the team. All too often teams let behaviors that weaken the team slide by and then just complain about it behind the team member’s back.
Peggy Morrow