Naturally, a large group of people is extremely chaotic. Just go to any sort of concert or high school dance *cough* *homecoming*, and you can see the insanity that bringing so many people creates. It is when this insanity is organized, though, that the most magical things happen.
In my 5th grade, there was a period of time in which the 5th graders and 4th graders came together as one large group with the sole purpose of playing capture the flag on the full soccer field.
In my 5th grade, there was a period of time in which the 5th graders and 4th graders came together as one large group with the sole purpose of playing capture the flag on the full soccer field.
Even after we split up into teams, how is it that about 40 kids managed to form a relatively organized game without any extreme difficulties? The key was division of roles. Any successful military or business organization can tell you that controlling large groups of people would be near impossible if they didn't break them up into sections, be it smaller squads or teams. And so that's what we did, divided up our team into 3 essential roles, with of course smaller subdivisions as the game developed: the attackers, the defenders, and border control.
The Offense
This was our front line: the fastest, wittiest, and most fearless players. If we were Spartans, these would be our 300. Now their job was to undertake the journey across the border to take the enemy's flag and bring it back. Now, considering we were playing on a full soccer field, this was HARD. However, the most difficult part of this role was having to keep attacking, keep moving in hopes of catching their defense unawares.
In this way, the offense could be considered as entrepreneurs starting out a business or a project of some sort. They're the ones that pitch ideas and then try to sell them to potential investors in hopes of obtaining huge success at equally high risk. Another thing they might do is attract people to their project so that it gains more support. The most important part of being the offense is never giving up.
In this way, the offense could be considered as entrepreneurs starting out a business or a project of some sort. They're the ones that pitch ideas and then try to sell them to potential investors in hopes of obtaining huge success at equally high risk. Another thing they might do is attract people to their project so that it gains more support. The most important part of being the offense is never giving up.
The Defense
These guys would no doubt be the backbone of the entire team or project. Their job was to protect the flag from attackers, so they need to be on constant alert. The few times they do see action, they become the hounds that you never want to encounter, forcing you back with ferocity that seemingly comes from nowhere.
In a business, the defense would be the people in charge of planning and scheduling, the seemingly trivial work but is in reality the most important of all. They would make sure everyone is running smoothly and doing what they're supposed to. Other tasks they might have are managing a website of some sort, or other social media websites.
In a business, the defense would be the people in charge of planning and scheduling, the seemingly trivial work but is in reality the most important of all. They would make sure everyone is running smoothly and doing what they're supposed to. Other tasks they might have are managing a website of some sort, or other social media websites.
Border Control
While many would consider this role as just a sub-category of the defenders, there's an important reason why I have placed this as its own separate role (other than the amount of times I've won in Capture the Flag). The border control would be the most versatile of all the groups, being near offense but also playing a defensive role. Their job is to psych out the enemy offense into thinking they're trying to get their flag, but in reality they're actually there in order to make sure the enemy doesn't cross the border easily. This could is easily one of the most fun jobs, as nearly anyone can take this role and simply toy around with other people.
In a business, these are your jack-of-all trades. They're there because they have many skills that can be used. They round out the different groups of people on a team and eliminate any glaring weaknesses. One day they could be helping creating spreadsheets, the next day they could be shooting a promotional video. Yet another day they could be just driving people around or making coffee. Their job is to make sure everyone else's job is running smoothly and nobody is overwhelmed.
In a business, these are your jack-of-all trades. They're there because they have many skills that can be used. They round out the different groups of people on a team and eliminate any glaring weaknesses. One day they could be helping creating spreadsheets, the next day they could be shooting a promotional video. Yet another day they could be just driving people around or making coffee. Their job is to make sure everyone else's job is running smoothly and nobody is overwhelmed.
Now of course, by no means does a team consist solely of these three categories. In fact, you may not with to define a team by these terms at all! After all, these are concepts created from the minds of 5th graders playing capture the flag. However, the greatest ideas often come from the most simple of concepts, and you can't get more simple than elementary schoolchildren. It is my hope that this brief explanation of some team concepts, you can develop your own ideas of how a team should function, and what roles people might take.
-Kevin
-Kevin