Massaging Out the Kinks for Better Team Performance!

After fighting with back pain for two weeks, I finally relented and went to see my massage therapist. I’m used to having back issues and while surgery several years ago helped my problem, I still have to deal with flare-ups every now and then. I can usually count on the pain subsiding after three days of rest and care. This time however, I had to revert to my massage therapist, Libby, for help.

Now… before you think, “How nice, Linda is treating herself to a spa massage,” let me clarify; Libby finds pain points and beats them into submission. Her massages have absolutely no similarity to the beach massage you get while sipping on your umbrella drink in Hawaii. They are a workout. No pain, no gain, right?

Yet, I know that if I can make it through Libby’s massage, I will be on my way to the right kind of recovery. It’s not much different in our workplaces. As the leader, Libby was having critical conversations with a few of my muscle groups. Their teamwork was remarkable but some of the weaker teammates were dragging down the overall performance of the team. Sound familiar? (more…)