Let’s Get Quizzical

Last Tuesday we at the Made Simple Group took part in the annual Catch22 quiz event. Fuelled by free booze and nibbles we propelled ourselves to the lofty heights of third… from last. The blow of such a placing was softened somewhat by winning the “best team name” prize (‘It’s just a big iPhone!’) but even this was sullied by our suspicions that the award was given more for helping the organisers with some technical issues beforehand rather than our witty moniker.

As ridiculous as it sounds, we even practiced. Pointless you may think considering the whole gambit of possible questions but it did present us this one moment of magic; Question: “What is the longest river in the world?” unnamed individual:  “The Serengeti”. Yes, our calibre was high.

Despite our poor performance, the event magnified the importance of teamwork. The sports fanatic, the geography specialist, the music obsessive, the film fiend, the barman – each role as important as the next.

What makes a good team is universal, be it in the workplace, on the football pitch or indeed at a pub quiz, the attributes are still the same. Whilst success is the primary goal, it’s important to recognise the individual needs of every team member.

Trust, shared goals, valuing opinions, good communication, recognising strengths, well defined roles and recognition are all attributes that deal with the individual. If these are adhered to then the workforce is happier and more likely to succeed.

And whilst for us quiz success remains elusive, at risk of sounding sentimental, at least we left as a team.