My mind started racing. “Why don’t the six of you start a book club? I see you’ve got children’s books here. Read one together. Better yet, how about having story time? See if you can get visitors to plop down on the floor for a few minutes while one of your team reads a book. Go for it. If anything it will make your team memorable.”

And you start the momentum Jack! Don’t ask one of them to do this. I knew this was going to be stretching his thinking. I was also looking at my phone for a text news alert that hell had frozen over.

Now, let me describe Jack. Mid-sixties. Wearing the first sport jacket he probably ever bought – tweed with that flannel shirt looking pattern His tie was…well let’s not go there. Nah, let’s go there. Foil-like stripes. Remember those? If you don’t, I hate you; I’m only forty-three.

Jack decided to change the

So are you Bears fans recovered yet? Have we moved on? It is only a game and while you might be bummed over the outcome, try putting yourselves into the shoes of the players. I have always found it astonishing how people who have no real connection to a sports team can throw so much emotion into a team loss (or win). Here’s a frightening fact……….absentee rate on the Monday following the Super Bowl is usually up 6%! It was expected to be a lot higher in Chicago yesterday.

Let’s think about this for a moment however. When was the last time you threw a tantrum when your work team didn’t meet a deadline or lost a bid for a project? Or better yet, how many people do you know who show up to work with their company logo painted across their face, scalp, back, or hairy-round-beer-infused stomach?

Why is it that the kind of team spirit that is displayed for our favorite football or basketball team is rarely displayed with a work team? And what does this have to do with anything?

Chill. Isn’t there always a message? Won’t there be one today?

Last week while attending the NY International Gift Fair, I had a conversation with Jack. Jack let me know that he is the NATIONAL ACCOUNTS MANAGER for a large publishing company. He was “equally impressed” when I told him I was The Big Kid from Never Grow Up. I was browsing around their trade show booth and I made a comment about the number of team members with Jack at the show. Bad comment.

Jack started whining about his sales team’s lack of excitement about being at the show. He asked me to look around at them. “They don’t smile. They’re sitting around. It is clear that they don’t want to be here” he said.

I responded, “You’re right. They don’t want to be here. Do you want to be here Jack?”

Jack responded with a “No, but this is our job.”

Rich responded with “Do they know you don’t want to be here?”

“I would never tell them that” Jack shared with me.

I suggested to Jack that he was probably telling it to them in other ways, like with his body language; and comments which are made about people who stopped by booth. I asked him if he and his team had any fun planned during the days they would be at the show.

Jack was silent.

I asked Jack what he was doing that evening after the show. He said going back to his hotel room to work and rest.

“Sounds like fun Jack” I sarcastically responded. “How about inviting the team out to dinner or a drink? How about finding a little trouble to get into. For Pete’s sake, you’re in NYC! Or better yet, ask one of your customers, perhaps a new one, to join you for some fun. Or tell your team to go out and have dinner on you.”

They won’t go was his response. I’m sure they were going without Jack – to massacre him verbally; which by the way is considered an acceptable teambuilding activity in the minds of several organizational experts. I concur. Fact is, Jack is as much to blame when it comes to the poor attitude around that booth. I’m gonna go one step further and suggest he might be more to blame than the other people.

I could tell Jack was getting pissed with me. I could tell it was time for me to make an exit. But how pissed can you get at a guy who walks around with a propeller on his head. I decided I should back off a bit.

“Nobody wants to sit in a booth at a trade show for four days Jack. So what are you going to do to make this fun for them?” My mind started racing. “Why don’t the six of you start a book club? I see you’ve got children’s books here. Read one together. Better yet, how about having story time? See if you can get visitors to plop down on the floor for a few minutes while one of your team reads a book. Go for it. If anything it will make your team memorable.”

And you start the momentum Jack! Don’t ask one of them to do this. I knew this was going to be stretching his thinking. I was also looking at my phone for a text news alert that hell had frozen over.

Now, let me describe Jack. Mid-sixties. Wearing the first sport jacket he probably ever bought – tweed with that flannel shirt looking pattern His tie was…well let’s not go there. Nah, let’s go there. Foil-like stripes. Remember those? If you don’t, I hate you; I’m only forty-three.

Jack decided to change the s

ed for our favorite football or basketball team is rarely displayed with a work team? And what does this have to do with anything?

Chill. Isn’t there always a message? Won’t there be one today?

Last week while attending the NY International Gift Fair, I had a conversation with Jack. Jack let me know that he is the NATIONAL ACCOUNTS MANAGER for a large publishing company. He was “equally impressed” when I told him I was The Big Kid from Never Grow Up. I was browsing around their trade show booth and I made a comment about the number of team members with Jack at the show. Bad comment.

Jack started whining about his sales team’s lack of excitement about being at the show. He asked me to look around at them. “They don’t smile. They’re sitting around. It is clear that they don’t want to be here” he said.

I responded, “You’re right. They don’t want to be here. Do you want to be here Jack?”

Jack responded with a “No, but this is our job.”

Rich responded with “Do they know you don’t want to be here?”

“I would never tell them that” Jack shared with me.

I suggested to Jack that he was probably telling it to them in other ways, like with his body language; and comments which are made about people who stopped by booth. I asked him if he and his team had any fun planned during the days they would be at the show.

Jack was silent.

I asked Jack what he was doing that evening after the show. He said going back to his hotel room to work and rest.

“Sounds like fun Jack” I sarcastically responded. “How about inviting the team out to dinner or a drink? How about finding a little trouble to get into. For Pete’s sake, you’re in NYC! Or better yet, ask one of your customers, perhaps a new one, to join you for some fun. Or tell your team to go out and have dinner on you.”

They won’t go was his response. I’m sure they were going without Jack – to massacre him verbally; which by the way is considered an acceptable teambuilding activity in the minds of several organizational experts. I concur. Fact is, Jack is as much to blame when it comes to the poor attitude around that booth. I’m gonna go one step further and suggest he might be more to blame than the other people.

I could tell Jack was getting pissed with me. I could tell it was time for me to make an exit. But how pissed can you get at a guy who walks around with a propeller on his head. I decided I should back off a bit.

“Nobody wants to sit in a booth at a trade show for four days Jack. So what are you going to do to make this fun for them?” My mind started racing. “Why don’t the six of you start a book club? I see you’ve got children’s books here. Read one together. Better yet, how about having story time? See if you can get visitors to plop down on the floor for a few minutes while one of your team reads a book. Go for it. If anything it will make your team memorable.”

And you start the momentum Jack! Don’t ask one of them to do this. I knew this was going to be stretching his thinking. I was also looking at my phone for a text news alert that hell had frozen over.

Now, let me describe Jack. Mid-sixties. Wearing the first sport jacket he probably ever bought – tweed with that flannel shirt looking pattern His tie was…well let’s not go there. Nah, let’s go there. Foil-like stripes. Remember those? If you don’t, I hate you; I’m only forty-three.

Jack decided to change the

don’t want to be here. Do you want to be here Jack?”

Jack responded with a “No, but this is our job.”

Rich responded with “Do they know you don’t want to be here?”

“I would never tell them that” Jack shared with me.

I suggested to Jack that he was probably telling it to them in other ways, like with his body language; and comments which are made about people who stopped by booth. I asked him if he and his team had any fun planned during the days they would be at the show.

Jack was silent.

I asked Jack what he was doing that evening after the show. He said going back to his hotel room to work and rest.

“Sounds like fun Jack” I sarcastically responded. “How about inviting the team out to dinner or a drink? How about finding a little trouble to get into. For Pete’s sake, you’re in NYC! Or better yet, ask one of your customers, perhaps a new one, to join you for some fun. Or tell your team to go out and have dinner on you.”

They won’t go was his response. I’m sure they were going without Jack – to massacre him verbally; which by the way is considered an acceptable teambuilding activity in the minds of several organizational experts. I concur. Fact is, Jack is as much to blame when it comes to the poor attitude around that booth. I’m gonna go one step further and suggest he might be more to blame than the other people.

I could tell Jack was getting pissed with me. I could tell it was time for me to make an exit. But how pissed can you get at a guy who walks around with a propeller on his head. I decided I should back off a bit.

“Nobody wants to sit in a booth at a trade show for four days Jack. So what are you going to do to make this fun for them?” My mind started racing. “Why don’t the six of you start a book club? I see you’ve got children’s books here. Read one together. Better yet, how about having story time? See if you can get visitors to plop down on the floor for a few minutes while one of your team reads a book. Go for it. If anything it will make your team memorable.”

And you start the momentum Jack! Don’t ask one of them to do this. I knew this was going to be stretching his thinking. I was also looking at my phone for a text news alert that hell had frozen over.

Now, let me describe Jack. Mid-sixties. Wearing the first sport jacket he probably ever bought – tweed with that flannel shirt looking pattern His tie was…well let’s not go there. Nah, let’s go there. Foil-like stripes. Remember those? If you don’t, I hate you; I’m only forty-three.

Jack decided to change the

r customers, perhaps a new one, to join you for some fun. Or tell your team to go out and have dinner on you.”

They won’t go was his response. I’m sure they were going without Jack – to massacre him verbally; which by the way is considered an acceptable teambuilding activity in the minds of several organizational experts. I concur. Fact is, Jack is as much to blame when it comes to the poor attitude around that booth. I’m gonna go one step further and suggest he might be more to blame than the other people.

I could tell Jack was getting pissed with me. I could tell it was time for me to make an exit. But how pissed can you get at a guy who walks around with a propeller on his head. I decided I should back off a bit.

“Nobody wants to sit in a booth at a trade show for four days Jack. So what are you going to do to make this fun for them?” My mind started racing. “Why don’t the six of you start a book club? I see you’ve got children’s books here. Read one together. Better yet, how about having story time? See if you can get visitors to plop down on the floor for a few minutes while one of your team reads a book. Go for it. If anything it will make your team memorable.”

And you start the momentum Jack! Don’t ask one of them to do this. I knew this was going to be stretching his thinking. I was also looking at my phone for a text news alert that hell had frozen over.

Now, let me describe Jack. Mid-sixties. Wearing the first sport jacket he probably ever bought – tweed with that flannel shirt looking pattern His tie was…well let’s not go there. Nah, let’s go there. Foil-like stripes. Remember those? If you don’t, I hate you; I’m only forty-three.

Jack decided to change the

My mind started racing. “Why don’t the six of you start a book club? I see you’ve got children’s books here. Read one together. Better yet, how about having story time? See if you can get visitors to plop down on the floor for a few minutes while one of your team reads a book. Go for it. If anything it will make your team memorable.”

And you start the momentum Jack! Don’t ask one of them to do this. I knew this was going to be stretching his thinking. I was also looking at my phone for a text news alert that hell had frozen over.

Now, let me describe Jack. Mid-sixties. Wearing the first sport jacket he probably ever bought – tweed with that flannel shirt looking pattern His tie was…well let’s not go there. Nah, let’s go there. Foil-like stripes. Remember those? If you don’t, I hate you; I’m only forty-three.

Jack decided to change the subject. He asked me about my hat. I asked him if it shifted his thinking for a minute when he saw me. He said yes. I told Jack that is what I do. I shift people’s thinking when it comes to processes that challenge teams and organizations. I then challenge their thinking on how to react differently to those processes. I work with corporate and association groups. Then I handed him my card. This was not my intent when I stopped at the booth (I was actually there looking at the latest in business and professional development books), but the opportunity presented itself.

So Jack, I just gave you a speed thinking shift. You can decide what you want to do with it. I walked away.

Here is the problem we all face. You have your set of rules .You have your outcome and preferred way of doing things. Your team has their ideas; their way of doing things. The sixty-something’s don’t think thirty-something’s understand the business. The thirty-something’s think the sixty-something’s are all dinosaurs. So no one is taking the time see what the others have to offer.

This came across my desk the other day. I thought it was appropriate:

"A good manager is a man who isn't worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him. My advice: Don't worry about yourself. Take care of those who work for you and you'll float to greatness on their achievements." - *H.S.M. Burns {American Businessman}

Towards the end of the Super Bowl Sunday night, one of the sports announcers was commenting on Peyton Manning’s concern/reaction when Tony Dungy took over as Colt’s Head Coach. The announcer commented how Dungy made the comment that he was not changing the offense. I guess Dungy was glad he made that decision Sunday night.

Where do you need to start looking at the value of your team rather than boosting your ego, ruffling feathers or leaving your organization stagnant? Please expand your definition of team to outside the workplace. Your family is a team. Your circle of friends is a team. That’s my challenge to you this issue.

Rich DiGirolamo is a professional speaker from Wolcott, CT. He calls himself The Big Kid and enjoys “making painful processes fun.” To learn more about Rich please visit http://www.richdigirolamo.com