Recognising strengths to unlock team potential

The trials for the GB rowing crews aiming to take part in this years Olympics have just taken place, though final selection won’t happen for a couple of months yet. It’s an fascinating dynamic in the teams as everyone wants to be as good as they can be, and are competing for a place in the boat, but everyone also wants everyone else to be as good as possible so they stand a maximum chance of winning a medal together.

Compare that to the attitudes of individual members of many corporate teams. How many have you worked in where there has been genuine desire from everybody to fulfil team potential and backed it up with their behaviour – that everybody in the team succeeds without exception? Only in this way with true mutual accountability, does the team stand a chance of reaching its true potential.

Too often individual egos and needs are allowed to get in the way.

As Alex Gregory, GB rower puts it, “In rowing you’re so reliant on your crew mates that you have to understand their needs as well as your own and that can be very frustrating sometimes but you have to find a way of working together”.

So a combination of knowing each others strengths, being flexible and tolerant, and holding each other accountable, is a great blend to aspire to. For everyone.