Team Culture development programs for staff, managers, coaches, athletes and employees is vital to all sports and to business success.
Having players or staff believe in the purpose or value of the business and each other, propels not only the strengths of each person but strengthens the greater whole.
Konrad Lippmann
Let’s be positively active about solutions, building, strengthening and conditioning the best Australian team cultures.
That inspires us to work on meaningful programs that make a positive difference in our and the athletes lives.
One in which we can be appreciated for the results achieved.
What is a positive and effective team culture?
My thoughts on the challenge Thrill team building faces, is looking to provide a solid team culture foundation. The Team Culture program and it’s outcomes.
Context for creating a Team Australia Program Facilitated by Thrill Team Events.
Australian Olympic sports (as opposed to big team sports like rugby/soccer) are largely individual sports, where athletes are based all over the country and work with local coaches/support teams to develop their own personal programs.
A challenge faced by the National Federations is when individual athletes are selected to National teams, to represent Australia at World Championships, Olympic or Commonwealth Games etc, forming a “Team Australia” within the sport.
Due to doing everything on their own until this point, their results are still independent and controlled by the athlete alone. Athletes infrequently have a real sense or feeling of goodwill towards a team environment. Their results in competition are not reliant on any of the athletes in “Team Australia”.
Creating siloed (athletes from each state, or from the same city who know each other better) or lack of empathy towards the team concept.
What:
Utilising opportunities when sports teams come into camp at AIS to help identify athlete values and use individualised values to shape a set of team values that they can all aspire to. Using team activities focussed on development of team cohesion and communication to assist in the development of a national team identity for the athletes and their National Federation.
To my mind, this would include adaption of Thrill team building activities from Survivor to Amazing Race programs into a hybrid Team Culture program. Increase both athlete and staff reliance on their teammates abilities.
Team chants, Team War Cry, team Slogan, Team Identity and Purpose.
Art challenge (to get to know each other better),
Communication challenges – blind fold line up.
Trust Development
Search/retrieve
Mindfield – timed team scenarios and initiatives.
Coupled with Personality profiling systems such as MBTI prior to experiential activities to identify and help guide the creation of individual and “Team Australia” values.
How do we go about creating Team Australia culture?
Outcome:
Develop increased team cohesion, and assist in the development of a National Team culture or identity for the business staff athlete and sport.
Discussion, analysis, projection, Thrill will be further developing the requirements from both a sporting organisation perspective and business culture models.
Article and Team Culture Program Development by Alex McInnes (Australian Climbing Sports Coach) 
& Konrad Lippmann
Thrill CEO team building facilitator and team culture specialists. March 2024. FREE TEAM CULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROFILE QUOTE