I love when a team get on a run of scoring points and watch to see if the opposing coach is going to let the team play through it or take a time out. When they take a time out, the goal of it is to regroup and refocus. This can be vital to see if the team will win or lose.
Every once in a while in life and with our teams, we need to take a time out to regroup and refocus. I am not just talking about the importance of vacation. I am talking about making sure that we give ourselves and our team opportunities to care about themselves. Many times leaders have a tendency to burn team members out, because they believe to be productive you always need to go, go, go. Unfortunately, when you do this you spend more time training the next person to go, then you would allowing your team members to have a time out.
A time out is not just time away from the job. It could be coffee, lunch or a fun outing with your team. Giving those team members an opportunity to regroup and refocus. When you do this, it is amazing to see how a team responds. The team chemistry improves as well as productivity increases.
As leaders of teams it is our job to make sure our team is healthy. We must keep a close eye on our team members to make sure that they are taking time out to regroup and refresh. When we do this, greatness comes in the long run.