The Power of Shared Rituals in Team Building

Manchester City set a new record by winning the English Premiership for the fourth time in a row, something never seen before. However, there is a little helper who has collaborated in this success, and he is not a coach, nor a physiotherapist, nor a psychologist, nor a physical trainer, it is....... a plant !!!??

Origin

The story goes like this: the team's top star, Erling Haaland, was going through a bad scoring streak and decided to buy a bonsai tree, which he brought to the centre of the physiotherapy room in the training facilities. In the words of the player "we get the energy from the bonsai tree. We draw the energy and it breathes into the body. It brings us good luck."

What started as an idea of Haaland's, who pruned and watered it every day, gradually became a habit for the whole squad. So that everyone took part in caring for the bonsai.

‘Everyone bought into it, everyone took care of it,’ John Stones (Manchester City player) adds. ‘It became a thing that if you’d come in and not watered it, you’d be a bit angry with yourself‘

What can we learn from this experience for our organisations?

Shared Responsibility

Haaland stated that "Everyone took care of it (the bonsai) and it became a thing".

This shared responsibility of caring for a living plant likely brought the players together through a simple, unifying act beyond just football. Nurturing something collectively create a sense of joint ownership and bonding.

Symbolic Representation of Growth

Bonsai trees are renowned for their resilience, patience, and methodical growth and shaping over time. This have served as a symbolic representation of the team's journey, reminding them to stay grounded, persistent, and focused on their long-term goals amidst challenges.

Source of Calm and Mindfulness

The presence of the bonsai in the physio room provided a natural, living element that may have promoted a sense of calm and mindfulness for the players. Caring for it could have been a meditative exercise, helping them relax and re-center during intense periods.

Reminder of the Bigger Picture

Beyond football, the bonsai may have served as a reminder of the broader context of life, growth, and the natural world. This perspective could have helped the players maintain balance and not get consumed solely by the pressures of their profession.

What are your views on this form of Teambuilding?

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