How many times have we heard, “There’s no ‘I’ in team?” Developing a team takes more than slogans and history – there must be a well-articulated mission and vision, along with an atmosphere of encouragement and inclusiveness.
Let’s admit right here that not everyone is cut out for everything. Not everyone will be a good driver, a good officer or even a good firefighter or medical provider. Many a great firefighter or paramedic has made a horrible officer, and vice versa.
Here are my top three ways to encourage team building amongst our troops: 1. Provide opportunities for everyone to participate. This can be as simple as an invitation to be a part of something, to provide specific input, just to have the chance to be heard.
2. Follow-through, decision making and communication. One of the biggest turnoffs for people is a lack of follow-through, communication and a definitive decision-making processes.
3. Challenge and motivate. Most high performers want to be challenged; to them, that’s their single greatest motivation.