Building Team Confidence

Succeeding together requires each player to have personal confidence in their own ability as well as confidence and trust in their teammates. A teams growth and success is largely dependent on individuals having a deep confidence in themselves and their teammates.

Distinguishing the difference between confidence and arrogance can be difficult. Culturally, we seem to be allergic to arrogance and often misinterpret confidence to be arrogance in disguise. However, confidence is a healthy and important contributor to success.

Knowing what you are good at is not arrogance, neither is recognising and naming what your teammates are good at. Having a team environment where confidence is celebrated and welcomed helps you to succeed together.

Instructions

• As a team, define the difference between confidence and arrogance
• Think of 1-3 strengths that you bring to the team and share these together
• Sit in a circle and do an activity where everyone encourages the person to their right or left. Have the opportunity for others to tautoko (support and reiterate) what has been shared.
• Think of what words or actions inspire your team to succeed.

Debrief

It’s important not to rush through this activity, even though it can be quite uncomfortable and difficult at first. We have to start somewhere if we want to change culture. Do this activity a few times throughout the season. You should observe that it will become easier the more the team encourages one another. If some find it harder than others, allow the individuals to give encouragement to one another.

If you want to take this further, allow individuals to encourage the player of the day each week.