Team Companionship
Teamwork has been the word of the month this February, and we’ve got one more full week to discuss its importance. This week, our chosen character focus relating to teamwork is Team Companionship! As you read, we will be talking all about how to bring up and encourage your team through this concept. But, what exactly does it mean?
Team companionship means sticking out for your team, and being there for each member through thick and thin. It tells us to always look out for your teammates by celebrating their wins, motivating them to do great work, and encouraging them with support if something goes wrong. The key is to be a great companion for all the members of your team. Now that we have a basic understanding of team companionship, let’s dive a little deeper into how we can use it in our own lives.
Celebrate
When individual members of the team go above and beyond, or if the team as a whole is exceeding expectations, celebrate those wins with your teammates! Recognizing others when they perform exceptionally will not only inspire them to keep up the hard work, but will also build confidence in their abilities as an added bonus. Plus, a celebration of hard work can help relieve stress in high-pressure environments. All of these results of recognition will keep the momentum of success rolling. When sports teams win championships in their respective leagues, the parades are great examples of this kind of celebration. Or, think about those class pizza parties at the end of a triumphant school year, and how good they make you feel.
Celebrations don’t always have to be big parties, though. Another way to celebrate your team is by giving them praise. No praise is too small nor big, and can be done either just between you and the recognized teammate, or in front of the whole team. Praises like these will also empower them to keep succeeding, even without the formalities of a party or parade. Celebrating is a great way to practice team companionship, because it helps to grow positive connections between the team, and uplifts the entire team and its morale!
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Motivate
Another essential factor of team companionship is motivation. In terms of companionship, motivation means helping others out to strive for success, and always having their backs. Motivation can be one of the many positive outcomes of celebration, but there are many more times where motivating other members of the team is necessary. For example, there will undoubtedly be challenging moments for the team where the path forward may be unclear. During these times, it is important to keep team morale high, and help them get back to working hard. Motivation can take 2 forms, either verbal or physical. Verbal motivation means using words to instill determination within your teammates; physical motivation means supporting teammates with action, like helping them out with a difficult task. Motivation is essential to team companionship, because being a great companion means always helping out your teammates, no matter what.
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Encourage
Finally, the last part of team companionship is support. The road to success can be pretty rocky sometimes, and mistakes might be made that can lead to setbacks. However, just like a parent encourages their kid to get back up when they fall, you must do the same for your teammates in order to improve team companionship. Mistakes of any caliber are inevitable, because they are how we learn to do things the right way. Although, we can only grow from our mistakes if we are able to stand back up and give it another shot, which can sometimes be a daunting task. That’s why our teammates are always counting on us to encourage and support them when they need it most. When a member of your team has a misstep, don’t scold or be harsh on them. Instead, give them the encouragement they need to understand what went wrong, figure out how to fix it, and do it better next time. Encouraging your teammates like this will help them get back on their feet, and learn to succeed after making a mistake. Picking up others when they are down is another important part of being a companion.
In Our Classes…
In our classes this week, we will be teaching our students how to be awesome companions to their teammates. Throughout our drills in class, we will give them the opportunity to practice celebrating, motivating, and encouraging their classmates. Our karate classes offer a great team environment where kids can learn to interact with others, and provide team companionship for them, all under the guide and supervision of our excellent team of instructors. Listen for our character talks this week to hear even more about how to utilize and apply each of these aspects of team companionship everywhere you go!
In Conclusion
In summary, celebration, motivation, and encouragement are the three key components of team companionship. Practicing these skills will be sure to help us support any team we find ourselves on. Team companionship comes down to being a good friend to all your teammates. Furthermore, it is a very important aspect of a successful team, and helps members work to– or even beyond– their full potential! Developing team companionship in our children is an important step towards building them up to be effective team players and great leaders.