The Power of Teamwork!
I was doing some casual reading on Formula 1 the other day and came across a snippet about the Pit Crew. Usually the attention and glory for the Formula 1 is towards the cars and the drivers. Everyone is mesmerized by the flashy cars, the engines revving, the speed, the fast cornering and the race to the finish.
However, reading the article made me realize that the cars, the drivers cannot perform without the efforts of the team. The team does not appear in the limelight, however, they are always working in the background to make sure that the cars can work at their peak performance and the drivers are able to extract every last bit of horsepower from them.
In a sport where timings of seconds are equal to a lifetime, the pit crew practice and perfect their skills so the cars can spend the least amount of time being serviced. The cars are fueled and the tires changed in superhuman times. The team managers keep an eye on the race positions and communicate with the drivers on when to make the stops to improve the position on the track. The pit crew make sure the correct equipment and people are in place so the driver and car do not lose precious time that could be spent gaining a lead.
At the time of writing this, the fastest time recorded for a pit stop was 1.9 seconds. Imagine that! If you blink, you miss the action. Imagine that every member of the team has to perform at their level best to make this happen. The team members have to be motivated to hone their skills. To be the best at what they do even though most of the followers of the sport will not be aware of their names and their individual contributions. Even the most ardent of fans will be hard pressed to name the guy in the pit crew who holds the lollipop. Yet the contributions of these team members ensures the driver can strive for a podium position.
The same applies to teams everywhere. When you are selling a product, your success at selling does not depend solely on your efforts. It is the efforts of the team, the people who buy the raw materials, the people who produce and package your products, the people who transport your product to the retailer, the people who stock the shelves, the people who invoice the goods to the customer that ensure that not only will you be able to make the sale, but your product, your company will be able to maintain their image, their position. The team ensures that while you have made the sale, the service received by the customers in the value chain make them yearn for your product. The service experience ensures that you get a second sale. Every team member performing at their best ensures that your product gains the confidence of the consumer and that your company grows.
The consumer may only see the fancy package and their convenience, but the silent effort that has gone into making that product available for the consumer at the time when they wanted it is the effort that needs to be applauded and appreciated so the team is motivated to keep performing and to keep improving. So take the time to appreciate your teams, equip them to perform and see how your business too can grab a podium position.