Team

Netball: A New Team Analogy (for me)

Thursday, May 6, 2021
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about team collaboration and how best to explain the sometimes elusive magic of effective teamwork. One analogy that keeps coming to mind is netball. While it may not be the most obvious metaphor, netball actually provides a surprisingly rich lens for understanding how strong teams operate. Yes, netball. For starters, in netball, everyone has a specific position with clear boundaries — both in terms of where they can move and what they’re meant to do. Sound familiar? Like in any good team, you’re not meant to be everywhere, doing everything. You need to know your zone, play to your strengths, and trust that others are holding theirs. Chaos breaks out pretty fast if the Goal Defence decides to be the hero and take over the whole court. (We’ve all worked with that person.) ...