The winter soccer season is over, but I am happy to announce the summer futsal season starts this week. I am really looking forward to playing with my summer team again, as we come together with the same attitude of fair play and a common desire to win.
If one of us was not as committed as the others they would let the team down, but we are very clear about the purpose of entering this competition. It is a fun way to get exercise, but we like to play well, and we love to score goals. Last season we took home the trophy!
Scoring Goals is Fun
It can be similar in the workplace. Everyone enjoys scoring goals, but if your team do not share their goals, they can be shooting in all directions. If there are no goals at all, then what is everyone doing? Is their workday like turning up to practice, kicking the ball around but never going on the field?
Setting objectives is a bit like placing the team on the field. They stand facing the goals to be clear which direction they should run, they need to know who is playing in which position, and they need to trust that each person is there to pass the ball to.
Have you ever been on a team where one person got all the ball time and everyone else stood around watching? That’s no fun either. They might score a few goals, but they feel unsupported and everyone else is frustrated that they are not trusted with the ball or can’t keep up.
Quick passes between players gives everyone the opportunity to advance the ball towards the goals, working with each other to respond to the blockers that pop up in the form of opposition players.
Team Direction
Is your team feeling scrambled by the opposition, reacting spontaneously to what pops up each day or strategic in their approach to work priorities?
Clear objectives established by the team help staff prioritise their daily activities and focus their efforts on working toward the goals. Regular check-ins with those objectives reward wins and deal with the challenges that can stall progress on an objective.
If you and your team need some coaching on setting and implementing objectives, I have limited availability left this quarter, so send me a message now!