#54 - Team work makes the dream work
Apologies for the cheesy title but I am still buzzing after taking part in a fitness competition (Hyrox) last week with 2 teams of 4 strong, badass, determined and fit women (see main photo of my team at the finish). This inspired me to write about how much more we can achieve by working as a team. Setting ourselves a challenge is important for our personal growth - it can open endless opportunities AND prove that we are always capable of more than we give ourselves credit for.
A capable team is nothing more than a group of people who complements each different skill sets. In the context of my recent fitness competition, there were 8 exercises and each of us had to choose 2 each with a 1km run before each one. It was interesting (and helpful!) that we each chose the ones that played to our strengths. For example, I loved the 1000m on rowing machine as I enjoy cardio but struggled to even push the heavy sled that my team mate found easy. Our ages spanned 3 decades which shows you can be fit whatever your age!
Led by our awesome trainers (shout out to Bfast), we trained hard together, we cried together when it felt too tough, we cheered each other on and we put the team before ourselves. We crossed the finish line exhausted but excited about how we could improve next time!
There are many benefits of working as a team in a work environment too, where we are all working towards a common goal but each has a different role to play.
A good team promotes trust - we respect the different skills that each of us brings and trust our team members to play their part
A team challenge provides an opportunity for us to show appreciation for our peers and celebrate joint achievements
Our confidence can grow within a team as we have the support of others to push our boundaries and demonstrate what we can do
Supportive team members can pick us up when the going gets tough and celebrate both achievements and lessons learnt together
I get a huge kick out of working with teams of people that challenge and inspire me to be the best I can be - whatever the goal.
