Teams work best when people feel seen, understood, and valued, yet many do not actively support teammates. Filling emotional tanks means offering sincere acknowledgment, encouragement, and support, especially when done with full, kind, and curious attention. Examples include a coach recognizing a backup goalie’s hustle, a boss appreciating an employee’s creative solution, and a parent valuing a child’s effort even when results are not ideal. Team leaders can practice tank-filling by rotating through the roster and focusing on one person each day or week. Maintaining a “magic ratio” of at least five positive interactions for every negative interaction helps relationships. Extra effort is needed for teammates who feel harder to support, using kindness and curiosity to notice resistance.
"Filling a teammate’s “emotional tank” means giving them genuine support and recognition. Filling emotional tanks is even more powerful when done as a mindfulness practice, meaning intentionally with full, kind, and curious attention. Beautiful examples include a coach acknowledging the backup goalie's hustle, a boss recognizing an employee's creative solution, or a parent appreciating a child's effort (especially when the outcome may not be ideal)."
"For the next couple of weeks, practice filling your teammates' emotional tanks. Work your way through the “roster,” focusing on one person each day, or each week throughout the season. Filling tanks ensures that you maintain the magic ratio of at least five positive interactions to every negative interaction in your relationships with each other."
"Just like certain physical skills can feel unnatural—such as dribbling and shooting with your nondominant hand or foot—it is human to have teammates with whom you find it harder and less natural to be generous. Yet, it is important to work on your teammates' weaknesses, putting extra effort into filling the tanks of the teammates you tend to neglect or dislike."
Read at Psychology Today
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