Week 09 - Application Assignment - Youth sports and organizational teams

Many of us remember our first youth sports experience. You probably joined the neighborhood soccer or baseball team because everyone else in your neighborhood played on the team and your parents wanted you to get out and interact with the other kids. Regardless of why you joined the team, most of us have fond memories of youth sports because the coach made everyone feel appreciated and valued. The same team mentality and support from the coach is also needed in the business world in order to make organizational teams successful.  

This week’s readings about team building discuss characteristics of successful teams and describe how managers can build cohesion while also managing conflict in teams within organizations.  In organizational teams, it is the manager’s responsibility to foster relationships and intervene when necessary to ensure the health and success of their team as well as individual members (Hill, 1995). Managers within an organization who successfully manage their team take on a very similar role to youth sports coaches; both are tasked with nurturing individuals in order to build an effective team.

In youth sports, coaches are expected to ensure the kids playing on the team are having fun, learning how to become a good team member, and learning a bit about the sport; winning is more of a bonus (Bloom, Loughead & Newin, 2008).  The majority of youth sports coaches do not have a vast knowledge of the sport, but are instead involved only because their kids are on the team. The coach’s priority is to focus more on team building and create a fun environment for the kids.  Coaches spend a fair amount of time and effort on group activities that promote team building, such as pizza parties after games, because “team chemistry” contributes to the team’s overall success (Bloom et al, 2008, p. 44).

Youth sport coaches promote team building activities in order to create a strong and cohesive team. Athletes that bond during team building activities have better team cohesion and overall better performance on the field (Bloom et al, 2008).  Similarly, engaging in team building creates an enjoyable work environment within organizations and promotes team cohesion which also contributes to increased performance (Hill, 1995).  Team building activities encourage unplanned interactions between team members, reduce the potential for conflict, and contribute to the team’s overall success (Hinds & Mortenson, 2005). Unplanned interaction increases the sharing of information and overall communication between team members which builds a strong team identity (Hinds & Mortenson, 2005).  Additionally, Hill (1995) outlines three criteria for an effective organizational team, and two of those criteria significantly overlap with the youth sports environment.  In effective teams, the well-being of all individuals is a priority as is the development of individual team member’s abilities. Effective teams also promote a cooperative work environment and improve team member’s capability of working together (Hill, 1995).

Furthermore, youth sports coaches, “encourage group identity by allowing players to identify what makes them unique and distinctive” (Bloom et al, 2008). Coaches promote team cohesion and unity, but they still embrace individual team member’s differences. Hill (1995) describes five managing paradoxes and the first relates to team composition.  As in sports, managers need to, “embrace individual differences and pursue a collective identity and goals” (Hill, 1995, p.10). Cohesion and group identity lead to a team’s success, but diversity promotes different perspectives to be heard and incorporated into the overall team strategy which contributes to continuous improvement and ultimately success (Hill, 1995).

Youth sports coaches and managers are both faced with the difficult task of building successful teams while still paying attention to individual development of team members.  Different individual characteristics create different dynamics within the team that the manger or coach must carefully manage.  In organizations, managers adopt a role similar to a coach in order to build an effective team within their organization.  Managers make all individuals feel as though they are a contributing member to the team’s success, even though they are not passing out medals.

References

Bloom, G., Loughead, T.,, & Newin, J. (2008). Team building for youth sport. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 79(9), 44-47.

Hill, L. (1995). Managing your team. Harvard Business School .p. 1-22.

Hinds, P., Mortensen, M. (2005). Understanding conflict in geographically distributed teams: The moderating effects of shared identity, shared context and spontaneous communication. Organizational Science, 16, p. 290-307.