Do you find ways to celebrate success with your colleagues?
Another World Series is in the books. And although I didn’t have a team in this Series—I am a Phillies fan, so unfortunately the season ended for me several weeks ago—I still get excited over the hype of the last two teams battling it out for the championship title.
Some of the greatest things about baseball during the postseason are the high-energy atmosphere of a cheering crowd, the emotionally charged announcers, and the intense anticipation of knowing that there are only a few games left for one of these teams to bring the trophy home this year. However, most loyal baseball fans know that the real excitement comes from something else. It comes from watching the trust, the synergy, and the teamwork that has been growing all year among the members of each organization. It comes from watching players who know that championships cannot be won by individuals, but are achieved only through the collective efforts of all the talented people who work together toward a common purpose. It comes from watching 6-4-3 double plays like those in this montage:
Of course this has me thinking about the synergy, trust, and teamwork in our workplaces. The same work ethics we see among players in team sports should be carried over into our offices.
Look at a double or even a triple play (a rarity in baseball)—both require precision, swiftness, focus, practice, and complete awareness of the surroundings. Every player must be able to think quickly and trust each one of his teammates to do his job. When a triple play is successful, the team is able to shut down the opposing team’s half of the inning in just one play!
Are we doing this with our coworkers? Do we have work relationships built on integrity, caring, competence, consistency, and trust? Are we able to depend on them to bring their A game every day? Can they depend on us?
Another nice thing about watching baseball is seeing the support among the players. Every run scored, every strike three, every home run gets a high-five, a pat on the back, or a “great job.” Fast forward to the postseason and the intensity of the support among teammates becomes a little more electrifying. A little more like this:
Or like this:
Or like this: (Sorry, I had to throw my team in here!)
According to Gallup Business Journal, supervisors aren’t the only ones from whom employees want to receive positive recognition—workers want to hear from their peers as well. Look around your office. Are you telling your peers when they have done a good job? Do you rally them on during a tough project? Do you find ways to celebrate success with your colleagues to help create a positive work environment?
Remember, it is not always the teams with the roster of best players, but the teams that work best together that win the championship games.
Tara Madison is the Resource Manager at EEI Communications. To read more about Tara, click here.
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