The task is simple; Do Your Job.
This is what successful teams live by.
If each member on your team is doing their job, they will become successful. Sounds so simple yet so many teams struggle. Why is that?
Well for starters, not many teams take the time to discuss what each member’s role is and how each role is important and vital to the teams’ success. Whether you’re the star player, a captain, the social butterfly, the cheerleader, or the benchwarmer; you have a role on your team and your team needs you to own that role.
Below is an example of how a team functions successfully when each member understands their part on the team and owns their role.
Sophomore year in collegiate track and field, my 4×400 meter relay team was disqualified at Nationals because I stepped on the line more than three consecutive times. We went in ranked third, which is the best we’ve been for a while and were contestants to break the school record. We fell short in the prelims and due to our disqualification had to watch the finals in the stands.
We came back with a vengeance and used that setback as a comeback and went into the next season determined to win the outdoor National Championship title. What happened though was so much bigger than that. We banded together and knew each person’s role in the relay.
We knew what each leg had to do in order to win the title and were constantly affirming each others place on our relay. Not only did we end up winning the outdoor title, but we won the indoor title and continue to win the next 4 years breaking records, re-breaking our own records, and creating a strong 4×400 meter relay for years running. This wouldn’t have been possible without our mindsets and discussing how each runner’s role was vital to our success. Each runner was exactly aware of what they had to do.
Here were our roles coming back that next year after being disqualified.
Jenna (myself): As the starter, my job is to get out HARD. I needed to ensure that my team was in a good spot by beating others through the first corner, striding the backstretch, and then digging down as deep as I can to run the last 200 meters to the best of my ability. Although I am in my lane the whole way I needed to make sure I hand off near the front to make sure the next runner could get to the cut in a good place.
Becky: As the second runner, Becky knew she needed to get that baton and charge the corner. After the first corner is the cut and she knew she had to have enough space to cut smoothly without getting boxed in or stuck behind another runner. On the backstretch, she had to continue fighting for the place we were in and make sure she held strong near the front pack (if there was one). As she ran down the home stretch she would give it everything she had left to hand off to the next runner. The more space she could give the next runner, the better.
Shannon: Now Shannon had a very stressful leg on our relay. No matter WHAT place we were in, it was up to HER to move us forward into first or second place. If it wasn’t first she would make damn sure that we were as close to first as possible for our anchor. This way our anchor wouldn’t have to make up so much ground. We depended on Shannon to do the unthinkable pretty often, and she never let us down. Once she got the baton her focus was on whoever was in front of her and MOW THEM DOWN. If we were already in first then she made sure she put us in the lead even further. When she handed off to the anchor, she would put us in a place where we knew we were contenders to win.
Claire: As our anchor, a lot holds in the balance for Claire. This is what it comes down to. We trusted Claire to carry us through, to keep up the hard work we have put forth so far, and then some more. She had to run against some of the fastest 400 runners in Division III and she did it with a feisty confidence that was beyond fun to watch. Her competitiveness drive was on her side as she would run her leg as fast as humanly possible, running not for herself, but for God and her teammates. We knew it if came down to the home stretch that Claire would always find a way to cross that finish line first.
When everyone on the team understands their role and how they contribute to the team, the whole team works together and functions like a well-oiled machine. Each person doing their part and all working towards a common goal.
We trusted each other to perform our role and own it to the best of our abilities. When we were not running our leg we were cheering each other on. At practice, we raced together side by side, as sisters in sweat. This relay team was so much more than a relay. It was a relay of sisters who encouraged each other, supported each other, and most importantly trusted in each other’s roles and OWNED THEM.