One of the most often used buzzwords in team sports is chemistry. “That team has a lot of chemistry,” or “they have really developed chemistry as the season progressed.” Most people can see it and can even tell when one team has more chemistry than another but the definition is evading.

Chemistry is the cohesion a team has. The respect, admiration and confidence each member of a team has for those around them. When you boil it down to its simplest components a team is only as strong as the relationship each member has with one another. To see the interpersonal relationships is to see the chemistry.

Like any relationship, it is difficult to pull meaningful information from relaxed, fun situations. However, when stress and disagreements enter then the true colors shine through. This is the same for a team. A team that wins is made up of best friends but it’s not always the case if that team starts to lose. Enter John Gottman, Ph.D.

Dr. Gottman is a world famous marriage analyst. He can sit down with a couple for a few minutes and tell if they will be happy together or get divorced with incredible accuracy. His method is not so much based on what is said but how it is said and the reaction it garners. He primarily focuses on four components: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling - the Four Horsemen.

Next time you are involved in a game, watch for if and when one of the Four Horsemen surfaces and then the resulting actions. Chances are, just like in a marriage, it will spell disaster for the team. 

This entry was posted on Monday, February 18th, 2008 at 9:41 pm and is filed under Perception, The Team Game. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.