Teamwork and Winning

This weekend was a blast! My crew was awesome. Our teamwork seemed unmatched and although we had a few (very minor) conflicts within the team, this experience taught me something I hope I never forget.

Every one's different. I, personally, like to joke/play around and I tend to be very competitive. Those are some of the few reasons why I knew I would enjoy working in the group I was with.

Many people are not like that. What we may see as fun and games, some may see as offensive. When I was on the Tennis team in high school and even in my own family we were taught always to be respectful, sportsmanlike, and humble. Shake hands when you win, shake hands when you lose.

As an individual in a group my aim is always to be the best; I don't care for trinkets, medals, or even fame- I just want us to win and if we don't, I would like to say, "I/We did our best."

Here is what I learned today:

Sometimes you have to accept what you get, believing you'll be fully rewarded later.

But if you do decide to challenge someone for your honor, here's what you might want to do;

* Observe them first to see if it's worth the hassle (do they understand your motives...?)
* Challenge them graciously
* Ignore emotionalism/crude comments (don't take it personally)
* Have a victory briefing/huddle to make sure you and your group share the same values and know how to handle competitive situations with a different team
* Accept victory humbly (not as a pushover but not showy either until your alone with your team at dinner) and force yourself not to react to your opponent.
* After the match, shake hands with your opponent, look into their eyes and genuinely say, "Good game."
* Respectfully decline gifts, earn your prize.

You may be the best, but how you conduct yourself during and after the game is what defines you.