Based on the number of times the Maverick players touched each other throughout the game, this outcome is not surprising.
According to the Wall Street Journal, after the first three games of the NBA Finals, the Mavericks had 250 slaps, hugs, taps or bumps. The players of the Heat had only 134 televised instances.
A study, “Tactile Communication, Cooperation and Performance: An Ethological Study of the NBA,” written by Michael W. Kraus, Cassy Huang and Dacher Keltner, concluded after reviewing broadcasts from the 2008-09 season, that good teams tended to be much more hands-on than bad ones. The teams whose players touched the most often were more cooperative, played better and won more games, the study showed.
Touching created a supportive environment. The cooperation and feeling of camaraderie increased as a result of the physical connection. It was a way to communicate and create esprit de corps.
As a leader ask yourself the following:
- How does our team create connection?
- What kind of physical sign does our team express to celebrate or to let each other know that we are covering our backs? (Examples may include high five, fist bump, thumbs up, pats on the back, handing someone an acknowledgement note or ringing a bell for good news.)
- What ways am I communicating to develop esprit de corps? Winning takes a lot of preparation. We can impact the chances of success with both appropriate mental and physical connection.