Team building helps foster momentum that is necessary to success in sports and business. A corporate team might face an extended project with multiple deadlines or an annual sales target. This requires managing a long season, which is what great baseball teams are starting to do this month.
Few teams have ever dominated like the Atlanta Braves did in the 1990s and into the 2000s, when they won 14 division titles. By representing some of their players and coaches and broadcasters, I got a behind-the-scenes look at how they defined team building in this era. Each season they faced 162 games, plus another 30-some in spring training and all those playoffs. The Braves’ fundamentals apply to any group of people who must work together over a long period of time to meet specific goals.
Here are some hallmarks of how they withstood the grind and thrived:
- A consistent, respected leader sets the tone. Veteran manager Bobby Cox knew just how much to kiss and slap his guys. He knew when to trust them even when they were struggling. Like a wise teacher who could turn a misbehaving kid into an A-student, Cox exuded a quiet understanding and empathy for his players. Bottom line was he believed in them and trusted them to find their way out of any slumps. (He was typically less patient with his rookies, so they were the ones who knew they had to prove themselves to stay with the club.) The older players knew that Bobby had their backs, and this built great loyalty. There was even some envy among opposing players because so few managers and leaders inspire this kind of strong feeling of team building Atlanta players felt every day, courtesy of Cox.
- Each player makes the most out of his resources. One of the great players who joined the Braves late in Cox’s career was slugger Mark Teixeira. When I visited him during spring training in Florida, I noticed that hanging on his refrigerator was a spreadsheet of his precise meals for the entire week. Chicken breast and protein shakes dominated this lineup. I wasn’t surprised to see him soon after that sign a $180 million deal to join the Yankees. Many Braves players demonstrated that kind of intentionality about their preparation for the season and every day. The number and type of calories may seem like a small decision, but multiply that over time, and the outcome will build your team—or break it down. The more competitive your field, the sharper this edge is for successful team building.
- Balance is key. The Braves were good at eliminating distractions; compared to some other teams, there wasn’t a lot of drama. I loved watching pitcher John Smoltz last so long as a pitcher willing to do whatever the Braves needed to win. I watched him guard his rest, take care of his body and tackle rehab for the injuries that inevitably come with years in the sport. He had a soft spot for the occasional chocolate chip cookie, but that was part of his personal balance. A well-built team often fosters a strong home base of support, through a spouse or trusted friends that a player can rely on no matter how he plays.
Don’t get me wrong. Emotion was always there in the Braves locker room; a team can’t play at this level without it. A veteran knew that if he fluttered, a young stud was right there to take the job.
Atlanta Team Building Takeaways for Businesses
On baseball teams, April is about possibility. There’s little stress because everyone starts out hitting a perfect 1.000 and those who struggle at first have time to pull up their averages. The conflicts are mostly ahead—as the trade deadline and All-Star Break near, players get more nervous about their numbers and the team’s position. The pressure is bound to grow the nearer October becomes.
That leads to the importance of preseason preparation. The off-season is crucial for building a sustainable team. What carries a player through the season stems from his physical strength. Those who build the strongest base by working out most efficiently between seasons are best positioned for lasting speed, agility, flexibility, power and explosiveness. They are most likely to avoid injuries as well.
For business teams, the best time to build interpersonal skills such as clear communication, capacity for giving and receiving feedback and better negotiation is away from your busiest times. Train your team well so they can be strong for the long haul.
Building great teams is one of our specialties, in Atlanta and beyond. Contact us for more information about customizing an Atlanta team-building curriculum that will maximize your group’s performance for the season ahead.
