Did you notice that the Virginia Team warm up/practice team jerseys all said “FAMILY” on them? Now that is some good coaching! If you feel like you are a part of a family you try harder, work together better, show up for each other and your sense of loyalty is deep. The first time I saw that shirt on one of the players as he sat on the bench, jumped up when his teammates showed up on the court and for all accounts, behaved as if he too were on the court giving it his all. Not one time did I see a disinterested face or look of disappointment that he was not called in to run up and down the court with his brothers. In his mind he was a part of the brothers on the court. I had no doubt they would go all the way.
Can you say that about your “family”, you know the one you spend at least 8 hours a day 7 days a week with? That you are a team, better together, unselfish in your behavior to support and lift your fellow brother in the good and bad? With all that is going on in the world, where we spend a majority of our time should feel like family time. Building memories and working towards a common goal, creating an environment that is uplifting to be around and keeps one another looking forward to returning the next day. How would you feel if a close family member just up and left with two weeks or little notice, would it make you take pause, evaluate the culture, try to do better or would you have the awareness that something was a bit off and try to understand and listen to why they are choosing to leave and not choosing to work things out.
Work life should be more like family life. When you feel down, you should feel you are supported, when your family member is ill you do what you can to help them get better as soon as possible. We want our family to stick around, it is time to encourage our work family to stick around as well. What will make a difference? Care and investment in each other’s wellbeing, I encourage and challenge you to take pause and see how you can become better together and lift one another up so they will stick around the family.