Have you ever had the prospect of being put onto the team that seems to be the best on the floor? I have. And I got it too.
While most of my full-time positions could list the job as being part of a "team", let's be honest, more jobs than necessary that mention "teamwork" don't actually follow through on the providing the "team" part but definitely follow through on the "work" part. Causing the overall experience of the job to lack a certain amount of luster.
However, there was one job that I had where there was a really unmissable team structure to the floor that excited me in ways that previous positions had failed to do. One such team definitely stood out to me as one of their members displayed a level of fervor that drew me in completely. And as luck would have, this was the very team that I was placed with when it was time for me to hit the floor myself.
I will admit, while excited to be learning from the team that seems to be able to collectively meet their goals most consecutively, I was actually surprised by how much some of them acted like siblings that have had to put up with each other for over two decades and yet still haven't gotten passed their rivalries.
I honestly didn't have any idea how to such people who only know each other through work had managed to develop such a relationship. It was honestly quite funny when I observed it the first few times, but I knew there had to be a reason behind it. As fun as the work environment was, the relationship spoke to something a bit more personal, cultivated....And it wasn't just the fact that they always did coffee runs with each other or made sure to take their new members to team lunches.
Thankfully, I would soon find out how this relationship came to be upon my first team outing. The team outing was almost like any kind of college hangout, drinks, games, a pool got involved, and sharing personal stories.
I made sure to swing by my ABC to grab some fun vodka and rum....I'm a very generous guest. Upon my arrival at our venue of choice, I was greeted with a big resounding welcome. I haven't felt that welcome in a group in a while. It was the sound of people who wanted to see me there and who wanted to involve me in their goings-on. We began our games, I got to see just how comfortable the team members were with each other, which it to say it seemed as though they spent as much time as they could together so they could learn to trust each other, even if a number of them argued like twins. I swear, the way some of the argued with each other cause me to mentally anticipate a set of parents barging into the room and yelling at them to behave cause they were over it.
Getting to spend time with this team gave me the sensation of belonging in a way that I hadn't felt in years. Not since I had left my college and my close radio friends, not since I left iHeartRadio knowing that I'd have to chase my dreams elsewhere. A sensation that I wish I had experienced more of in my life.
I supposed I write this to say that team building isn't just about making sure the collection of people you have are able to work cohesively and optimally, its all about providing people a place where the feeling of belonging is never lacking. You never know when someone just needs one place to feel that and how much feeling it can mean to them.
For those teams out there who do this thing. For those teams out there who not only become close outside of the office and create strong bonds, but who are also so ready and happy to invite new people into that fold and let them know that they belong too....Don't ever underestimate just how powerful that is. You never know when you'll convince someone to keep trying.
Yours Truly,
BC Babbles
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