How many ways are there to say “there is no ‘I’ in team” before your audience’s eyes glaze over?

Apparently, not enough.

Day in and day out, coaches, team leaders, and business writers everywhere struggle to come up with the one example that will ignite their people’s spirit of teamwork.

I think I found it.

Can you top this?

It involves one of those centuries-old, folksy traditions (this one from my native Catalonia) that tourists find so quirky.

It’s called the Castellers, which literally means “castle builders.” As the name implies, it has to do with teams from different locales attempting to build—and disassemble—human towers. (Watch video) 

Why, you ask? Well, to prove the town’s strength, agility, team spirit, if you will, against that of neighboring towns. Keep in mind that this tradition hails from the early 18th Century when entertainment options were limited.

So what makes a centuries-old tradition a perfect example of teamwork for the 21st Century?

Let me connect the dots between the Castellers and some of the characteristics of teamwork.

1 – There is no “I,” no “me,” no “MVP”

I’ve always wondered why we say there is no “I” in team and then proceed to emblazon the individuals’ names on their uniforms. Also, if we’re talking about a team without an “I,” why do we have an MVP?

Isn’t that a contradiction?

Now look at the photos of the Castellers. You won’t see names or numbers on the uniforms. You won’t even see most of their faces as they intensely focus on the build. And the little girl who … Continue reading