So, I was looking into Al Taween basketball the other day. Not because I’m suddenly a massive Saudi league expert, mind you. It just got me thinking, you know, about teams, how they work, or more often, how they don’t.
My Own Little “League” Drama
It threw me back to this one gig I had. We were supposed to be this hotshot “synergy” team, a real mouthful of corporate buzzwords. The big boss, he’d just come back from some seminar, all fired up about “agile” this and “collaborative” that. He basically threw a bunch of us into a room, from totally different departments, and said, “Okay, innovate!” Like it’s a switch you just flip.
The Dream Team That Wasn’t
Man, it was less like a basketball team and more like five people trying to dribble five different balls on the same tiny court, all while blindfolded. We had Mark from Sales, who thought every idea was gold as long as it could be sold yesterday. Then there was Susan from Engineering, super smart, but if it wasn’t her idea, it was automatically dumb. And me? I was supposed to be the project lead, the “coach” I guess. Felt more like a referee in a mud-wrestling match.
We had this flagship project, “Project Oasis,” they called it. Grand name, right? The reality was a desert. No one wanted to pass the ball, metaphorically speaking. Everyone wanted to take the final shot, even if they were miles from the basket.
- Meetings were a nightmare. Just people talking over each other.
- Emails? A tangled web of passive-aggression and CC’ing the entire company.
- Actual work? Slowed to a crawl because everyone was too busy guarding their own little patch of sand.
I tried, you know? I really did. I suggested daily huddles, clear roles, shared goals – basic stuff you’d see in any team that actually functions, like you’d hope Al Taween basketball has. But it was like talking to a brick wall. The boss just wanted “results,” didn’t care how messy the game was. He’d pop in, ask “Are we winning yet?” and then disappear before you could explain the chaos.
The Inevitable Turnover
Eventually, “Project Oasis” just sort of… dried up. No big explosion, just a slow, painful fizzle. A couple of us, including me, ended up “exploring other opportunities,” as they politely put it. Susan, I heard, became a lone wolf consultant, probably happier that way. Mark went on to sell ice to Eskimos, or something equally ambitious.
What I Learned on the Sidelines
And why am I telling you all this, starting from Al Taween basketball? Because that whole experience, it taught me more about teamwork – the real, gritty, sometimes frustrating kind – than any seminar ever could. It’s not about just throwing talent together. It’s about plays, about trust, about people willing to make the assist instead of always wanting the glory shot.
I see a team like Al Taween, or any team that seems to click, and I just nod. I get a glimpse of what it’s supposed to be like. It’s not about fancy slogans on the wall. It’s about what happens on the court, or in the office, when the pressure’s on. Most places I’ve seen since? They talk a good game, but when you look closely, they’re all still just dribbling their own balls.
So yeah, Al Taween basketball. Got me thinking. Still does.
