Announcement

Excellence in Communication

Posted by Chris Leighton on Apr 25 2019 at 10:10AM PDT
image

Teamship Values – Excellence in Communication
As we end our winter season it is timely to revisit our excellence in communication, both in reflecting on the past several months and in looking forward to spring and summer training and on to next season.
Our communication takes many forms. Information ranging from fact to gossip and speculation are available across a variety of mediums. The diversity of our team & the reality that we are supporting each other while in many cases also competing with each other makes for a very complex environment where communication is constantly a challenge.
We Excel in Communication:
Communication is the basis of all human interaction. It gives reason to our actions and unites teams through a common message. Poor communication can undermine effort and lead to mistrust.
• We communicate positively:
We are positive in our intent when communicating and we do not speculate on others’ performance or pass judgement on the decisions of officials. We are gracious in defeat and magnanimous in victory. We think before speaking and manage our emotions.
In skiing, as in many other sports, our performances are defined by results that make comparisons to others. We must accept and own our performances and relate them to our own actions. It is not our place to judge or assess another’s performance, either good or bad.
We must always be cognisant that there are athletes who are disappointed in their performance, while there are others who are delighted. We must recognise the effort each individual makes because that is what defines the person.
• We communicate constructively:
We communicate what is constructive to the efforts of our team and ourselves, based on fact, by asking direct questions to gather the facts. We support the opinions of others and we make complaints and suggestions to the people who can help with answers and solutions.
Within our community, as with any collection of people, there is much speculation given and assumptions made, often without all the facts. This is enhanced by the fact that our sport is measured by individual results that invite comparisons. There are often assessments made without knowledge of the circumstances and conclusions reached before gathering the information needed, or indeed ask is such as assessment or conclusion is relevant to ourselves.
Our opinions can easily get fuelled by emotions which can get in the way of logic. We must therefore learn to look past our emotions and assess only the situations that affect ourselves and our team through logic and reason.
• We communicate fairly and honestly:
We follow a fair course of action whilst being open and honest in our communications, and we are consistent in our communication with others.
We must remember that each of us have our own lives that drive our actions, and that we must take those components into consideration before communicating.
A simple rule is not to discuss someone else’s affairs with another person in any manner other than as if you are speaking with that person directly.
• We communicate politely and appropriately:
We are polite in our interactions with others, and speak only on matters with direct relevance to ourselves, our sport and our performance. We seek learning in our interactions. We look to find ways to avoiding escalating issues.
In every walk of life there are always actions, circumstances or decisions made that we do not like or agree with, many of which we cannot change. However we must always strive to learn and improve from them. It is essential to share our own perspectives respectfully and openly in order for everyone to evolve.
It is an honour to be a part of this team and to be associated with so many great people who continually strive for Excellence in Communication.
Best regards,
Mark Tilston
Whistler Mountain Ski Club
marktilston@wmsc.info