GO TEAM!!

Team Play

There is a ritual in most sports of putting hands in the middle of a circle and yelling an expletive as a common pre- and post-game tradition.  I wrote about my granddaughter demonstrating this on her volleyball team.  Typically, the team members gather in a tight circle – extend their hands into the middle and the captain or team leader yells something encouraging or forceful symbolizing unity and collective strength.  --- Go Team or better yet some other more powerful and off-color word to boost morale and a mindset of confidence, solidarity, and achievement.

When I first started to work in the San Francisco office of Goldman my colleagues and I loved our boss.  He was highly respected and we truly liked working with and for him.  However as much as my work pals might have cared for him we were not always on the same encouraging team-demonstration page.  During one such terrible market period we were gathered in a small conference room and John was delivering a heartfelt and encouraging talk about commitment and how we were all going to be just fine.  The talk itself was inspiring and we loved him for that—however, timing is everything and at the end of his talk he thrust his hand into the middle of this small conference room table ready for a team ritual gesture as we had just described above.  Years later, of course, I see exactly what he was doing, but at the time we all looked awkwardly at each other and mumbled something and shuffled out of the room. ----- Go Team!

I went to the San Francisco Ballet to see Sasha De Sola, the Principal Ballerina.  We were the guest of her fiancé.  The show was a three-part performance with an intermission between each dance.  She performed the lead role in the second piece.  At the conclusion my friend (The Fiancé) turned to me and said “Let’s Go”.  What? I thought you had to stay until the end? Turns out when she had completed her performance she could and was heading for the exits and home to rest. 

We went to the back stage door to pick Sasha up.  We waited for a few minutes and here came this beautiful Ballerina that was just on stage in a spectacular outfit.  She was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and jeans.  I thought to myself don’t you have to wait for your colleagues to be done with their performance before you leave? Don’t you have a team meeting before and after? Don’t you stand in a tight circle and yell encouragement and a supportive powerful expletive to assure you are performing at your best? 

NO!!! They, like my colleagues, missed the memo and shuffled out of the performance hall and went home only to return the next day to do it all again.  Like my former boss, I was disappointed that this was not part of the performance team play model.  They work hard, practice all day for weeks and then go on stage and perform.  When it is over they go home just like you and I do.  I guess I will have to find an older athletic team to experience this phenomenon as I think I missed my chance.

GO TEAM!!! WE ARE THE F……G BEST!!!!!

What?????Really????