Shared hardship builds stronger teams
During the early summer of 2017 I was privileged to spend a weekend training with the current England football squad in their preparation for the 2018 World Cup. The likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Stirling, John Stones, Gareth Southgate and many other famous three lions, switched their track suits for military uniforms and joined us for three days of mud, sweat, (some tears) and more sweat at the Commando training centre Royal Marines.
The weekend was an immense opportunity for both the professional sports stars and elite Royal Marines to share stories, tools and techniques on how we both implement leadership and cohesion within our teams. It was staggering just how close our similarities were, with such an experience forging new friendships I’d never dreamt of having. Friendships that remain, and recently resulted in the Royal Marines training team being invited to St George’s Park, England’s training centre, to bid them farewell on their Russian campaign.
Whilst at St George's Park, I took the opportunity to speak with Harry Kane, the England captain, about their visit last year and hear his thoughts towards it. “I enjoyed every second of it and took so much away. The guys still talk about the weekend to this day, a year on and we still draw upon lessons we learnt with you.”
As I absorbed the skippers humbling words, I couldn’t help in thinking that it wasn’t us who caused the team to gel so well. It was the players themselves who forged their new relationships with each other; we provided lessons on resilience and the unpleasant experiences for them to further bond with.
Since England’s visit to the Commando training centre (CTCRM), they have won seven out of nine important fixtures, drawing the remaining two. The team is a different breed of young fresh talent and seem positively unified in their World Cup campaign. They are now a team of team mates, not a team of individuals.
I in no way claim that it was the Marines that changed them, but what we put them through were experiences they will never forget; stories of hardship they can continuously share between themselves. Such shared experiences can be the foundations for any team, within any field, to become stronger and more unified in what ever it is they do.
Many ask why the bond between soldiers, the ‘camaraderie’, is so strong. The answer is simple. Teams that experience extreme moments or go through pain together share something unique that often deepens relationships, and strengthens trust between all involved. This is where teams find their strengths and loyalties, leading to higher performance. But why?
Shared hardship unifies people, forms companionship, creates support and most importantly builds trust, and it is trust that is fundamental towards a team’s success. People who encounter pain, adversity or tough times together are much more likely to find cohesion and solidarity within their group. Ask yourself now why you remain friends with your closest and what you have been through together that creates your relationship. It is more than likely the result of adversity you share with that person which has formed such loyal companionship.
Any business, organisation or sport can throw several people together in a room and expect them to work as a team, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be any good. The group will have to grow together and learn about each other as they establish their unity, and it is shared hardship that will unify them quickest.
Back when I was a Royal Marines recruit, I remember creating solid bonds of trust and companionship quicker with my new colleagues in ten weeks, then I could have with my civilian friends over twenty years. Our ability as young recruits to sit in our dorms and talk for hours on end about how terrible the weather was whilst we were in the field; physical punishments for our wrong doings as a troop; or the gruelling routines in the gymnasium gave us experiences only we could share together. During and after Afghanistan this form of bonding became even more prevalent. We would cast aside our earphones, music and mobile phones to instead sit by a fire, or with a beer and share our stories together with tears or laughter.
For the modern ever-changing world we live in, strengthening teams can be easier said than done. High personal turnover, conflicting interests and clashing personalities can tarnish a team’s ability to grow. Companies and organisations often struggle to bond their staff within constrained time limits and high-pressured environments. But it doesn’t have to take years of working together to establish a high-performance team.
To create high performing and unified teams, remove them from their comfort zones and cast the team into an unfamiliar situation to uncover staggering results. When Gareth Southgate said he’d never seen a squad come together as the England guys did at CTCRM, it demonstrated just how powerful shared hardship can be. No phones, social media or fancy gadgets. Just the canvas of a night sky, some rations and an uncomfortable sleeping arrangement was all it took to bring the squad together; a squad of players the media had not long labelled ‘egocentric individuals’.
Staff BBQ’s, parties, team days and activities are ok, but are average and familiar at best. If you want to transform, change or improve your team’s cohesion and performance, then cast them into uncomfortable situations within unfamiliar surroundings. Get them muddy; get them wet; get them tired; push their boundaries; get them exhausted. Seems harsh, and many of them will dislike it at the time of doing such activities. But after a warm shower, hot food and a drink, the stories will begin to seep through and the team will be sharing their hardship which they will naturally bond over. Their experiences will become the glue of their relationship. The same glue that helped transform the England squad, many elite soldiers, and soon your team.
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