By Bob Stainsby
November 29 2005

Comeonyousaints.com regular Saintsby discusses the issues of team spirit, club ethos and skill levels.

Teams, Individuals, Leaders & Spirit

 

Prompted in part by Rob Richmond’s excellent Worcester match report and also by the discussion generally I have been thinking (yes tough I know!) about the general theme of ‘Team Spirit’ ‘Ethos’ and Individual skill levels, so gentle reader indulge me whilst I ramble, then feel free to wade in to me with your size nines.

 

I have personal experience of building and managing teams, as no doubt so have many others out there in Saints land.  Let me say at this point that I wasn’t always successful, especially when starting out or when I inherited an existing team.   A quote I recall that is pertinent to inheriting a team and with it all the ‘baggage’ of previous leaders is ‘ If you can’t change the people you have to change the people’ neither option is as easy as the quote suggests!

 

In this great game highly skilled individuals are brought together each having a specific role to fulfil to make the group operational as a unit, making up the whole 15.  For example 9 & 10 linking the forwards and the backs 10 also providing tactical guidance via kicks for territory and distribution etc, the front row taking on the main responsibility for the skulduggery and tactics of the scrum etc.  Yes each player knows the technicalities of their own and their teammates positions but what distinguishes capable teams from good/great teams?  To use marketing speak term (oops sorry!) what creates the synergy, that certain something that makes the sum of the parts much greater than the individual units?

 

As a manager of sales teams I loved the cut and thrust of being in the field leading from the front and walking the job.  But this was not always possible particularly as I progressed and the teams got bigger.  I quickly, and occasionally painfully!! found out that key appointments were my team leaders/lieutenants.  Developing people and appointing them to these roles at the right time for them, the team, and me was crucial to success.  These leaders had to fully understand the plan and buy into it and this meant owning it, so their input in planning was key to our success. The other absolutely crucial element to getting it right was regular clear communication and feedback.  For example:

 

 “ Boss this isn’t working because ….xyz,  I reckon we should do.. abc”  “OK lets try it if it works tell everyone else how and why”

 

However despite this dialogue and input the team had to know that sometimes decisions had to be made quickly and by the boss and often though these were tough they understood the process and that the decision would be for the good of the business and its ongoing success.  Do we have this right? Your views and no doubt incoming flack welcome.

  

 

Now onto ‘Ethos’ ‘Spurut’ ‘Team belief’

 

Many contributors to the COYSDC debates recently and in the past have referred to confidence, state of mind, it’s in the head.  So how do we get this right? WIN!!  I hear you scream, well yes abso flippin lutely.   But we still need it, constantly even when we lose, here’s a quote on that too:

 

‘A battle won is a battle which we will not acknowledge to be lost’ (Ferdinand Foch).

 

In other words the ability to put opposition away, grindout a win even when we play badly, turn FG into a place where opposition teams expect to lose not pick up points!

 

I remember going to FG just prior to the first season that the Churches was opened and going through the gate opposite the ticket office to look across at where my seat would be.  It was a beautiful summers day Piggy was riding his lawn mower across the billiard table pitch making lovely patterns.  I was in absolute awe, my heart was bursting with pride!  As I turned to go back up the steps there was KB beaming from ear to ear clearly he felt as I did bloody PROUD to be a part of this great club “looks good eh”?  shook his hand and readily agreed and I still feel the same every time I walk in.

 

Now there are teams to me that have got this elusive ‘ethos’ and I will name one that springs to mind – Wasps.  Yes those nomads who wander around the area from London to the Chilterns like some constant movable feast.  Not for them the purpose built stadium, best player and supporter facilities in the prem but you can see nay feel the Spurut in them and their albeit smallish support, and yes it was there before their success’s.  Ditto London Irish who have used the exile tag to create a brand and image that players and supporters buy into.

 

All the Saints supporters I know, and I reckon many I don’t, seem to me to have the GB&G running through their veins.  We have a magnificent stadium and facilities combined with the great FG ‘feel’ so, here is the question:  How can we amplify that, and turn it into a real Spurut that galvanise us all?  

 

After all, we are one Saints team aren’t we?