Arsene Wenger reveals the secrets of successful teamwork

A big thanks to Carlo Mencatelli who alerted me over an enjoyable lunch today to this fantastic newstory about how Arsene Wenger (Manager of Arsenal FC, for those who don’t know him) approaches motivation and teamwork…

There are lots of lessons in Wenger’s approach that could be used to highlight the role of teamwork in motivation people. The memo to Arsenal players was left in a hotel in Bolton and has been widely reported over recent days. I’m told that this is what he wrote:

Team meeting 19th September 2008

The Team:

A team is as strong as the relationships within it.

The driving force of a team is its member’s ability to create and maintain excellent relationships within the team that can add an extra dimension and robustness to the team dynamic.

This attitude can be used by our team to focus on the gratitude and the vitally important benefits that the team brings to our own lives. It can be used to strengthen and deepen the relationships within it and maximise the opportunities that await a strong and united team.

Our team becomes stronger by:

Displaying a positive attitude on and off the pitch
Everyone making the right decisions for the team
Have an unshakeable belief that we can achieve our target
Believe in the strength of the team
Always want more - always give more
Focus on our communication
Be demanding with yourself
Be fresh and well prepared to win
Focus on being mentally stronger and always keep going to the end
When we play away from home, believe in our identity and play the football we love to play at home
Stick together
Stay grounded and humble as a player and as a person
Show the desire to win in all that you do
Enjoy and contribute to all that is special about being in a team - don’t take it for granted.

Wow!