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Building winning teams through connectivity

  • Published
  • By Col. David Vaclavik
  • 20th Mission Support Group
Coach Mike Smith, former Atlanta Falcons head coach, wrote a book titled “You Win in the Locker Room First.” It describes how to build a winning team in businesses, sports and life.

In chapter five of his book, Smith says that “team beats talent when talent isn’t team.”

Two of the best teams I have seen in my life were the 1980 U.S. hockey team and the 2013 and 2014 National Basketball Association Champion San Antonio Spurs. Each of those teams believed that no one player was more important than the other. Everyone on the team understood their role and the importance of doing their job to the best of their ability, no matter how big of a role they played in games. These teams believed in team before self and were so connected they knew what each team member was thinking and exactly what they would do on the ice rink or basketball court.

Bottom line, connectivity on a team is crucial.

Smith provides an example in his book about the 2013 University of Florida basketball team that was able to beat teams with more talent even though the Florida team did not have any players drafted into the NBA that year, like many of the top teams did.

How did they do that? They were more connected.

Smith wrote, “The more I have worked with teams over the years, the more I realize that connection is the key to becoming a great team.”

He also wrote that the best teams he has worked with are teams that enjoyed being around each other and teams that do not connect, often fail to win.

I believe this is also true for our teams in the Air Force, whether it is building and strengthening our teams at the section, flight, squadron, group or wing level.

So how can we continue to connect and strengthen our winning teams here at Shaw?

Smith offers a few recommendations in his book that I think are useful for us to remember as we continue to strengthen our teams.

First, create a connected “locker room.” No matter how busy we are, we must make time to connect and plan activities that facilitate connecting. For example, conducting team building exercises like the “Defining Moment Exercise,” where teammates share a defining moment in their lives. Smith writes, “When team members connect and build strong relationships, they don’t just work with each other, they work for each other.”

Next, connect outside the locker room to be strong inside the locker room; throughout the year, get together for activities like dinner, bowling, community service and other events that allow you to get to know each other better. Include families as often as you can.

Finally, stay connected. When the makeup of your team changes (losing and gaining new members), leaders must always evaluate how the team is connecting, who is connecting, and whether there is a positive or negative change.

Shaw Weasels, we have an awesome, very talented and connected team at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In order to keep our team at the top of Air Combat Command and our Air Force, we must ensure that we continue to put team before ourselves and do all that we can to connect and stay connected with our teammates.

Thank you for making this the best team I have been a part of in my career. I look forward to the great things this team is going to accomplish in the year to come.

“Victory by Valor!”