Tag Archive for: teams

Let’s huddle!

๐ˆ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐๐ฅ๐ž ๐ฒ๐ž๐ญ?
Before every basketball game at High School, I recall our team would huddle together on the court, share some motivational words together, plan some tactics, culminating in a united shout of โ€œletโ€™s go!โ€
Years later, whilst studying at University, I worked part time at the local Asda superstore, and as soon as you started the morning shift, it was time to stand together for 15 minutes for our daily huddle.
Now, in the mission field, they are still part of my routine with a virtual weekly online huddle.
Huddles are all about gathering people together, sharing key information and aligning everyone for the game, the day, or the week ahead by considering what we want to achieve.
The goal of any huddle is always short term.
Any information shared is about making everyone more successful and productive, by focussing on any accomplishments, identifying top priorities, and sharing updates.
There is usually some feedback provided too.
And it is always important to leave time for questions and to ask for input from all participants.
Huddles are quick, they improve communication, people feel more connected and very quickly everyone understands what is expected of them.
It keeps everyone in the loop, while understanding what everyone else is doing too.
My experience of successful huddles suggests that they need to be short, regular, upbeat, engaging and remember to have a bit of fun too!
Have you huddled recently?

What holds your team together?

Evidence in the garden suggested the storm had been a rough one.

There was damage in the garden, including one of the ceramic pots which had been blown over and was broken into several pieces. My wife and I discussed our options. We determined to visit our local garden centre to purchase a replacement. However, we couldn’t settle on a new pot and instead a little later we decided to repair the broken pot and bought some glue instead. A few days later, the pot, showing its age a little, plus with some wear and tear, was repaired and functional once more, adding to the surroundings of the garden.

In a like manner, it struck me how powerful cohesion is and the importance of glue in many aspects of life, especially through this year. I considered my family, teams I’ve worked in through my career, then subsequently groups and organisations I have worked with in 2020. What is the glue, the cohesion, the bond that unites us, that keeps us sticking together and from falling apart? In life, we can choose – out with the old, in with the new or repair.

Unity, love, purpose, meaning, joy, happiness, a sense of belonging are all indicators of cohesive teams.

In your family, community, teams and organisations what is the glue that holds you together?