Although it’s April 1, we’re still in the throes of March Madness.
The legendary tournament is down to the final 4 and soon, the championship. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just someone who enjoys picking a bracket, Ragan has shared some very valuable teamwork and communication lessons we can all take away.
Be a facilitator.
Sure, the sport of basketball has a few “stars” – maybe you’ve heard of Michael Jordan? Or LeBron James? They are amazing players, but they weren’t on the court alone. The best teams are those that work together - they pass the ball to the open player or provide offense for the one with the ball. They work together as a team toward their common goal.
When it comes to teamwork and communication in the corporate environment it’s really no different. Many companies may have a star but they’re not doing it alone. They’ve got a team behind them helping them “get it done.” Information NOT shared within a company can be detrimental – so instead, the point guard of the company, the one disseminating timely and accurate information and handling the company ball (it’s messages), is the real hero making sure all parties have the necessary information at hand.
Prevent costly turnovers.
Sticking with the point guard analogy, you don’t want to play loose and flashy with your companies messages. Make sure to handle the company ball (the messages) carefully. Turnovers can be costly.
Be gracious—in victory and defeat.
If you saw the Duke game last night you saw R.J. Barrett’s unfortunate free throws. His team could have blamed him for the loss but instead consoled him and banded together taking pride in how well they’d played. There weren’t tantrums, blaming or shaming, instead, they rallied as a team.
It’s important to keep this perspective in the workplace. If something goes well give credit where credit is due. If something doesn’t go well, take a hard look at where things went wrong and make the necessary correction. Receive an accolade? Be gracious. Receive criticism or negative feedback? Take a look at where you can make improvements.
Being gracious in both good and bad situations will help you be a better team player and communicator.
The full article from Ragan can be found here.