A recent discussion highlighted the emphasis on culture, values, and behavior. It’s interesting to note that people can have different values yet still share a sense of common purpose and agree on what constitutes good behavior, especially in professional settings like clinical environments or when working with colleagues.
Team Sky Cycling had a concept called “Rules of the Bus,” and I have compiled similar “Rules of the Boat” for high performance. The idea of co-creating and authoring a set of rules that help teams decide how they want to work together can be incredibly powerful and empowering. Peer pressure often proves to be a more significant motivator for change than leadership direction.
This collaborative approach allows teams to establish their own guidelines, fostering a stronger commitment to those rules and enhancing overall performance and cooperation.
RULES OF THE BOAT
1. We will respect each other and watch each other’s backs
2. We will train hard but sensibly and responsibly to drive performance and avoid injury
3. We will be honest, but fair with each other
4. We will be on-time
5. We will communicate openly and often
6. We will put aside any personal preferences to make the boat go faster
7. We will debrief after every race
8. We will maintain a log of training and Personal Best milestones which we will be available for everyone in the team to see
9. We will always wear team kit
10. After every session every team-member will shake hands, ritual is important to trust
11. We will respect the boat
12. We will be professional when racing: We will respect our opponents and be magnanimous in victory and gracious in defeat.
13. We will request any changes to be made to boat set-up the day before a race and not on race day
14. These rules (and any that are added, amended or deleted) will be agreed and followed by us all.
#Leadership #Teamwork #Culture #Values #Behavior #HighPerformance #ProfessionalDevelopment #Collaboration #Empowerment