Team in simple terms mean a stable, bounded, reasonably small group of people who are interdependent in achieving a shared outcome. Everyone wants to win. Winning is fun and an offspring of competition – the spirit of competition drives us to overcome our weaknesses exposed from lessons learned.
EFFECTIVE TEAMS
Wondering by now why this would be here? It is simple – if you are interested in being on a team and representing your country then you should be willing to put the time and effort in to be more than just competitive. At this point you should be thinking about what it takes to be the best that you can be and have a winning mindset. Not only does this help you but your team members as well.
Team members can be from any of the States. You may not know, like, or understand that person but you have a responsibility at a team member to try to get to know them and understand what they bring to the table! Your primary goal as a team is to perform as well as you can together, help push one another, and keep your eyes focused on the task of representing your country at the IPSC World Shoot.
This list will help you and your team members achieve those goals:
- The purpose, mission, or main objective is known and understood by all team members.
- Communication in the team is open, direct and honest.
- Sufficient leadership is available in the team. And the team needs logistical support. Find a spouse or friend that will take the added responsibility of organizing travel and logistical needs. Trying to be a squad shepherd and competitor is very taxing. To be the best you need to focus on shooting.
- Practice with Purpose – There is regular review of how well the team is performing toward achieving its purpose.
- There is an agreed organizational structure to the team – Captain etc.
- Adequate resources are available to allow the team to perform it’s function, including ammo and a facility, practice sessions, and budgets. Being on a team takes a lot of effort, time, and money so be prepared to make the commitment.
- Synergy exists, so the team performs in a way that is greater than the sum of its parts.
*Note: Team members will be required to wear a shooting jersey that has been pre-selected for the WS by USPSA. If you would like to show some love to your sponsors then I recommend that you take different caps and wear those at different times during the competition. Do not be surprised when you see teams from other countries wearing shirts that display IPSC as a major logo as that is common at WS events.
