Is There a Mystery to Team Building?

The football game

Is there a mystery to team building? Some people believe there is, but building a team is no more mysterious than the football game in the picture. If there is a mystery, then it lies in the fact that there is no plan for building the team or if a plan exists it is not effective.

Can you imagine what the football game would look like if there were no game plans? Confusion would prevail and the game would look like Moe, Larry, and Curly of the old Three Stooges movies were the coaches.

A boss who understands professional development

I recently met with a local realtor and one of her employees who manages the marketing and social media aspect of the agency. Not only has this realtor invested in her personal growth, but she also encourages, expects, and supports the development of her team. As the owner of the agency, she selects books for her team and allows paid time for them to read and digest the material. How about you? What are you doing to build and develop your team?

Additionally, this realtor knows the core values and strengths of her team members. Do you, your first line, or mid-level supervisors know the same about the people who work in your organization? Let’s face it. There are employers, organizations, and supervisors that do not even know their own core values let alone anyone working for them.

You may say, “I don’t have time to do that and I’m sure not going to pay someone to read on my dime!” The realtor in this story is also busy, yet she finds the time and methods to build her team, and she is successful in her business.

No excuses

Are you the person who makes excuses for not building your team? My wife is fond of saying that excuses are the skin of reason stuffed with a lie. If you want to be effective, then develop a plan for your growth and the growth of your team. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

As a 37-year veteran of the fire service, I am experienced in building professional and efficient teams.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rick Davis is a retired battalion chief from the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority (LFRA) in Colorado, author of the book The Furnace of Leadership Development. He served as a firefighter for thirty-seven years and with LFRA for over twenty-nine. During his time with LFRA, Rick led the Special Operations Team, the hazardous materials team, wildland firefighting program, recruiting program, health and safety program, and served as the department’s training chief. Rick is a veteran of both the United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps.

Over the course of his career, Rick has spoken about and taught leadership and decision making to fire service, industry, and church groups. He wrote two research papers on situational awareness and tactical decision making under stress, and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Kennedy Western University, a M.S. in Executive Fire Service Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.

Originally from Cedarville, New Jersey, he now lives in Loveland, Colorado with his wife, Debbie, two daughters, Rebekah and Emily, and their dog, Java. Rick is a student of leadership and military history, and finds studying the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863 of great interest. He enjoys the Atlantic Ocean and walking Civil War battlefields. To invite Rick to speak at your event or organization, please contact him.