Ryder Cup!
My husband and I had the opportunity to attend the Ryder Cup in Chicago over the weekend. It was a volatile golf tournament for all involved – spectators and players. For those not familiar with the Ryder Cup, here’s a brief background.
It is held every other year, between two twelve member teams of professional golfers, one from the United States the other from Europe. The tournament is match, not stroke play, over three days. The first two days the teams play foursomes in the morning and the afternoon, with sixteen points up for grabs.
After two days the score was United States 10 points, Europe 6 points. The third day there are twelve matches between one person from each team. Whoever wins scores a point for their team; if there is a tie, each team gets a half point. On the final day, the Europeans needed 8 out of 12 points in play to gain the 14 total points needed to retain the Ryder Cup.
Here’s what I learned:
Lesson 1: Bring your best to the team. While you know what the overall goal of the team is, you can only do your part. The individuals on each team could only affect the score by one point – that was their contribution. Concentrate on what you can contribute. Focus on doing your job.
Lesson 2: Worry about yourself. Focusing on doing your job excludes worrying about what the other members of your team are doing. Getting caught up in what others are doing can drain your energy – especially if they aren’t performing as well as they are expected to. When your team members are thriving, use that as a quick motivational pump to your own energy.
Lesson 3: Believe. Believe in yourself and listen to your team leader (in the case of the Ryder Cup – the Coach). When a goal seems impossible to those outside of your team, don’t buy into their doubts. When your team believes that a goal will be reached, it will be, each member will contribute what they can.
Lesson 4: Plan ahead and check it twice. European Rory McElroy almost missed his tee time – he mixed up the time zones. Team leaders need to ensure that the team has the resources everyone needs. While a team leader can’t be responsible for all team members’ actions, the leader should anticipate what they can and prevent problems before they happen.
Lesson 5: You’re part of a team. In the case of the Ryder Cup, one team wins and one loses. It’s an honor just to be on the team. So when you’re asked to participate or picked for a team, take that as a win. Most aren’t even in a position to succeed or fail. Celebrate your good fortune!
Final score: Europe 14 ½ – United States 13 ½ – the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history!
What lessons have your learned from playing on a team? What have I left out? Did you watch the Ryder Cup? Leave your comments below.
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Great post, and what a treat to be there in person! I think the other thing learned through this experience is that the Ryder Cup, like work, is more like a marathon than a sprint. The US “sprinted” out the 1st 2 days and then forgot they still had a long ways to go. You need to have a plan that covers the full length of the assessment period and stay confident.
Erik –
Excellent point! Your analogy is right on – the full length of the assessment period is so important. Thanks for your comment!
Holly
Point 4 particularly resonates with me. In my young years as an Army officer, I was a recon unit leader. I had to go out and check things out first before the larger unit showed up. I have carried this habit with me to this day. It is critical to take the time, when feasible, to check things out in advance and to give your team members the “411”. This reduces stress and gives everyone an opportunity to plan better and to be better prepared when the team has to go on the record and perform.
Great comments Kevin. So important to take a little time to anticipate and plan.
Thanks, Holly