As I’ve said before, team building isn’t about company picnics or having drinks after work. Those things are all fine, but they don’t necessarily make for a good “connections” team.
Getting your team connected – and communicating – with each other is what makes a winning team. Three-time NBA champions like the San Antonio Spurs know that this is as true in sales as it is in sports.
Two of the most important team building ideas that every business should know:
Everyone Counts
Imagine your team is a rowboat. In order to get that boat moving, you need everyone rowing for you. No dead weight. Everyone on your team is important – they all come with different talents, perspectives, backgrounds, and communication styles. Diversity is a good thing on a team – respect everyone, and allow them time to voice their opinions without fear of being reprimanded.
Less Bonding, More Connecting
Building sales teams doesn’t mean playing “bonding” games – it means getting connected with each other. A good “connections”team focuses less on extracurricular activities and more on whiteboard sessions. Have a weekly or bi-weekly meeting, where everyone can share information, seek advice, and ask questions. Make each person accountable to the team – you’ll be amazed at how much productivity and communication increases in these connecting sessions.
So, how do the San Antonio Spurs fit into all of this? Organic Leadership Blog has a recent blog post about how the Spurs have built a consistently winning team – by far one of the best in the NBA. A brief analysis of the Spurs shows that they observe these two critical team building rules:
1. Players hold each other accountable and cheer each other on.
2. The team is there to win as a team because they understand that winning as a team leads to winning as individuals.
You can read the rest of OLB’s analysis of the Spurs here.
Wayne,
Great write up. Only it is the Four time Champion San Antonio Spurs. By the way you still owe me lunch! :-)
Posted by: Matt Connor | February 12, 2009 at 01:14 PM