BUILDING CULTURE

SYNERGY

Since its inception, our focus for Synergy was to provide an elite/exceptional experience for young athletes, in Salmon Arm, to learn the game of basketball by focusing on life lessons to teach the game and follow a set of Standards and Core Values that guide the program. We strongly believe in “the Whole is Greater than its individual parts” and we adopted a few other slogans which helped to guide us and shape what we believe in; for example, “All In!” … “If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~ African Proverb

We also adopted ideals, teachings, and lessons from programs such as Thompson Rivers University Men’s Basketball Program, Point Guard College (PGC), and Focus 3 (Tim and Brian Kight). Scott Clark (Head Men’s Basketball Coach at TRU) introduced us to Tim Kight and Focus 3. 

“The Focus 3” program teaches discipline-driven behavioral skills that are critical to an organization's growth, but also focuses on individual and team development.” 

By following Tim Kight’s concept that “behaviour drives culture and culture produces leadership,” our coaches took the approach that life lessons would teach the game of basketball and that basketball would teach life lessons. 

We believed that if we came together as a group of coaches and players from different schools, experiences, and knowledge, we could improve our level of play and teach the game “the right way.”  

So, by focusing on teamwork, togetherness, selflessness, unity, and common sacrifice, Salmon Arm Synergy Basketball was born. 

“To put it simply, synergy means ‘two heads are better than one.’ To Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems.” Synergy = “The whole is greater than its individual parts.”

“When people begin to interact together genuinely, and they’re open to each other’s influence, they begin to gain new insight. The capability of inventing new approaches is increased exponentially because of differences.

Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity and sameness for oneness. One word—boring! Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life.”    ~ Covey

“Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term synergy comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία synergia from synergos, συνεργός, meaning "working together".

Again… Synergy believes in and teaches “discipline-driven behavioral skills that are critical to an organization's growth, but also focuses on individual and team development.” … Behaviour drives Culture and Culture produces Leadership.  ~ Tim Kight

Over time, change is inevitable. Quite often, in order to learn

and grow, we need to learn to adapt and change our own practices and mindset. Sometimes, the old ways are replaced with new ideas, teachings, and ways of doing things. Synergy began small… two coaches coming together to work with and teach one team. Over time, we grew as an organization and had over a dozen coaches and eight plus teams; however, this past year, Synergy has streamlined its program and we have become smaller. 

Moving forward, Synergy will offer boys’ programs in grades five through eight and focus its energy on helping boys’ programs at the elementary and middle school levels. My advice… the same advice that was given to me recently … develop an open mind. If we don’t learn to change, we may become extinct. 

*Reminder…food for thought… “Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along?” ~ Covey

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

OUR TWO WORST ENEMIES

From his book "No Excuses," Brian Tracy tells us about our two worst enemies.  This is a passage that can certainly relate just easily to players as to coaches:

Just as self-discipline is the key to success, the lack of self-discipline is the major cause of failure, frustration, under-achievement, and unhappiness in life.  It causes us to make excuses and sell ourselves short.

Perhaps the two biggest enemies of success, happiness and personal fulfillment, are first the Path of Least Resistance, and second, the Expediency Factor.

The Path of Least Resistance is what causes people to take the easy way in almost every situation.  They seek shortcuts to everything.  They arrive at work at the last minute and leave the first opportunity.

The Expediency Factor, which is an extension of the law of least resistance, is even worse when leading people to failure and underachievement.  This principle says, "People invariable seek the fastest and easiest way to get the tings they want, right now, with little or no concern for the long-term consequences of their behaviors."  In other words, most people do what is expedient, what is fun and easy rather than what is necessary for success.