Leadership

Avoiding Team Deterioration

by Terry Barlow
03/16/19
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At least four teams I know of this season in two different sports had promising starts and then unraveled “like a cheap sweater” as their seasons progressed. Teams unravel from time to time, of course, but I’ve never seen a rash of them do so like this before that I can remember. It shows what a subtle and fragile thing team chemistry can be. When it’s lost it can be nigh impossible to regain over the course of a season. People begin pointing fingers and things are often said that are hard to forget and forgive. That’s where a strong leaders must step up, humble themselves, and set the example of accepting their own share of the blame. Having done that they must find a way to address those deficiencies as a means of at least beginning to turn things around.

It’s safe to say that the best teams enjoy each other’s company both on and off the court or the field. If they point fingers it’s to acknowledge the strengths and contributions of fellow players, or to recognize improvement. They celebrate the triumphs and successes of other team members. They also hurt when other players hurt.  they keep short accounts in their communication, trying not to let things build up to a boiling point. If it becomes necessary to constructively  criticize they do so on the basis of mutual respect and appreciation, and the ability to receive criticism themselves. In other words, they have the relationships to sustain it. Though some relationships are always more compatible or comfortable than others, they don’t tend to avoid each other socially.  They have cultivated a sense of family that can carry them through difficult stretches.

These principles and characteristics, of course, apply to all kinds of  groups and teams and are not limited to athletic teams. They apply to companies, corporations, churches or volunteer organizations, for example, who are all equally vulnerable to unraveling effects over the course of time,  as they attempt to navigate difficulties and rise to the challenges they meet.