Hi athletes! How are we? This month is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I want to start our conversation today with checking in.
“How are you?” or “How are you, really?” are simple, yet powerful, questions I encourage you to use within your community. Kindness and compassion are free tools you can incorporate into your day to day. Watch as you sprinkle these into your world how the mood shifts. Ask Elmo, his question on social media almost broke the internet with responses. Humans crave connection and a simple question like “how are you?” can have a significant impact on someone’s day.
Speaking of connection, building connection and a sense of belonging can be one of the most impactful things you do to develop a high performing team. We often only focus on work related tasks or skills, and don’t include elements outside of work. Don’t get me wrong, I love and respect boundaries, and I also like to create a space where my team can decide to share beyond just the work day to day. A question I like to ask my team is what is something, outside of work, that lights you up?
Other questions like:
What book are you reading?
What is something you looking forward to?
What is your favorite vacation memory?
What song/band are you currently listening to?
Questions like these allow you to create the space for deeper connection and insight into your teammates. Being able to honor those interests and incorporate them into your work (or training) can be very meaningful. Maybe you have similar music interests and can share playlists or discover new artists together. Or “hey this book made me think of you!” can brighten someone’s day.
High performing teams (athletic, academic, or corporate) have a high sense of belonging amongst the group. Being able to bring your whole self to the team fosters a deeper sense of connection and drive. When you share that bond, you elevate the play.
As a team member it is your job to help your teammates not only identify what their strength is, but to help cultivate that skillset and create opportunities to demonstrate that skill together. It is one thing to develop a talent individually, but how we piece together these different gifts/strengths to work together productively is truly magical. Even more so when we can sprinkle in elements of fun!
When you think of your current team - what strengths come to mind? What passions or interests are on the team? How can we best position our teammates to amplify those strengths? Who compliments those strengths? Are there any gaps in skillset? What training or development is needed to bridge those gaps? How can we be a champion for each other?
You don’t have to be the team lead, coach, or manager to answer these questions. We can lead from the sidelines and find ways to elevate our team together. “A rising tide lifts all ships” remains to be my favorite high performing coaching mottos.
If you were wondering, what is something, outside of work, that lights me up - taking photos of the views while I am out on a run. I had the pleasure to run through the vineyards with my run club this week, and a dear friend (thanks Sarah!) captured this photo of me - truly in my element:
Great post! Real care and connection is a great way to build a positive work culture, no matter what your environment.
Outside of work, I love to spend as much time as possible by the water. Reading, walking, playing, etc. It clears my head of all of the emotional debris that accumulates from my difficult job.
So many things light me up outside of work! I love this question and I love hearing the answer from other people. Beautifully written - there is so much truth in this simple reminder to connect.