The miracle baby was baptized today at St Paul's Lutheran Church in Crofton. It was a great family day attended by family including one great-grandmother, two grandmothers, one grandfather (that be me), a great aunt, and a lot of uncles and aunts and family. It was a celebration of life and a celebration off Jax and all he has been through. He has been an inspiration to all of us and he has brought the family closer together as we all rallied during the days immediately following his birth in the hospitals (yes, two hospitals).
Each day of Jax's life since before his surgery has reminded each of us about his miracle and has served to bring all of us closed to God in our faith walk.
Today was a very special day in addition to the Baptism, it was Pentecost and Mother's Day. I think it could never be a better mix for a celebration of Jax and his new life in Christ as a Child of God. Pentecost, signifying the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles after Christ's Ascension and Mother's Day signifying the celebration of Motherhood and new life. Jax is truly blessed to have been baptized on such a grand day.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Iron Man - the Movie
Went to the movies last night. We used to be busy on Thursday nights, but or lives have changed a bit and we are now free. It was really nice to see a movie and have the theater mostly to ourselves.
The movie was Iron Man and it was great. The acting was strong, the special effects were not over done, and the action was sufficient for a comic book hero but still allowed for character development and a good story line too. The movie was a good update to the story for the current time period.
The cast was strong with Robert Downey Jr leading the way supported strongly by Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrance Howard, Shaun Toub, and (the actor we knew but couldn't name until the end) Jeff Bridges.
The movie is a great ride and very entertaining. There were ZERO "watch looks" during the movie. (What is a watch look? How many times I look at my watch to see if the movie is going to be over soon, I hope). And the pace of the action was well done. Techno geeks will enjoy the computers. I wish I had a couple of his. And the robot with the fire extinguisher is especially funny.
Thoroughly enjoyable. WARNING: There is a gratuitous sex scene and some bad language in one place. Of course--people die and there is violence.
Rating: Highly recommend--see now in theaters, buy when it comes out on DVD. You might even want to see it a couple of times in the theater.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Teams: Setting Expectations
I probably got the proverbial "cart ahead of the horse" yesterday when I wrote about people problems and referenced expectations without actually having written something about expectations.
Leaders set the expectations. What are expectations? The behaviors, the values, and the ethics of the team. Teams need these to foster morale and smooth functioning. They are a reflection of the leader and the operating environment of the team.
Two important things to consider. Expectations should be clear and everyone needs to know them. Do they need to be written? Not necessarily as long as they are understood by everyone.
The second thing is--the leader needs to live the expectations and expect the team to also live the expectations. It is not a matter of enforcement when someone does something outside the expectation, it is encouraging those who work and live within the expectations.
So, if the expectation is that meetings will start on time--the leader needs to be on time.
If a value is for a safe environment--ensure the value is not violated through witting or unwitting personal attacks on team members.
I've worked places where the values and expectations are posted, but after a while they become just another decoration on the wall. It is more important to live the expectations and that is how everyone will come to understand what they are. The team will key off the leader's behavior.
Expectations should be lived. They should not be "shelf-ware" for reference only when there are problems.
Leaders set the expectations. What are expectations? The behaviors, the values, and the ethics of the team. Teams need these to foster morale and smooth functioning. They are a reflection of the leader and the operating environment of the team.
Two important things to consider. Expectations should be clear and everyone needs to know them. Do they need to be written? Not necessarily as long as they are understood by everyone.
The second thing is--the leader needs to live the expectations and expect the team to also live the expectations. It is not a matter of enforcement when someone does something outside the expectation, it is encouraging those who work and live within the expectations.
So, if the expectation is that meetings will start on time--the leader needs to be on time.
If a value is for a safe environment--ensure the value is not violated through witting or unwitting personal attacks on team members.
I've worked places where the values and expectations are posted, but after a while they become just another decoration on the wall. It is more important to live the expectations and that is how everyone will come to understand what they are. The team will key off the leader's behavior.
Expectations should be lived. They should not be "shelf-ware" for reference only when there are problems.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Teams: Dealing with People Problems
You ever hear the phrase, "20 percent of the people take up 80 percent of your time?" It is what I call the 20-80 rule. Personnel problems are inevitable on teams. I mean, people are people and we are at all different stages of maturity and have life experiences which sometimes mean we see, think, and/or act differently from the normally established standards.
It is critical that leaders be adept at dealing with people one-on-one, especially in potential conflict or uncomfortable situations. One person, consistently acting inappropriately can destroy the fabric of a team. They can reduce productivity, destroy morale, and sabotage the working relationship between the leader and the team.
What is a leader to do when confronted with a troubling personnel situation?
First, don't get so wrapped up in the personnel problem that your relationship with the other members of the team suffers. Continue to nurture, support, and relate to everyone else. They need to continue to see the leader and to have the open communication that hopefully have been established. They also need confidence that the leader is actively working to enforce the team standards in the renegade.
Second, work one-on-one directly with the problem and the person with it. Nothing in the world is more demoralizing for a team than to have a leader send a blanket email out stating some policy intended to solve a problem that only one person has. Usually the person with the problem doesn't know it's meant for them (so they ignore it) and everyone else is insulted that the leader isn't dealing directly and personally with the issue.
This is a time for the leader to be hands-on. Sit together with the person involved and get to the bottom of the issue. There are established standards being violated--they can be written or understood. But there are standards. Leaders also need compassion. I believe it is important to assume "noble intent" on the first or second meeting. Some people just don't see how what they are doing is divisive or contrary to the team standards.
Dealing directly with people is important for leaders. It shows the team that you are engaged and willing to take care of the tough stuff personally. It demonstrates that you have a good knowledge of the team dynamics and reinforces to the team that you care about each one of them and know what their contributions are.
Hiding behind blanket emails sent to everyone about every transgression is a sign of weakness and insecurity. It sends a message to the team that you are unwilling to engage and you don't understand the dynamics on the team.
Leaders do not need to talk about the problems they are working with the team members. If leaders are in touch with the informal communications system,. they will know that the team is aware of the problems and how the leader is working them. People appreciate modesty and humility. The scary part is that everyone sees the problem. Everyone expects the leader to act. That is the best place to be in because as the leader acts, it reinforces the team standards and assures the team members that the leader cares about the team as a whole.
It is critical that leaders be adept at dealing with people one-on-one, especially in potential conflict or uncomfortable situations. One person, consistently acting inappropriately can destroy the fabric of a team. They can reduce productivity, destroy morale, and sabotage the working relationship between the leader and the team.
What is a leader to do when confronted with a troubling personnel situation?
First, don't get so wrapped up in the personnel problem that your relationship with the other members of the team suffers. Continue to nurture, support, and relate to everyone else. They need to continue to see the leader and to have the open communication that hopefully have been established. They also need confidence that the leader is actively working to enforce the team standards in the renegade.
Second, work one-on-one directly with the problem and the person with it. Nothing in the world is more demoralizing for a team than to have a leader send a blanket email out stating some policy intended to solve a problem that only one person has. Usually the person with the problem doesn't know it's meant for them (so they ignore it) and everyone else is insulted that the leader isn't dealing directly and personally with the issue.
This is a time for the leader to be hands-on. Sit together with the person involved and get to the bottom of the issue. There are established standards being violated--they can be written or understood. But there are standards. Leaders also need compassion. I believe it is important to assume "noble intent" on the first or second meeting. Some people just don't see how what they are doing is divisive or contrary to the team standards.
Dealing directly with people is important for leaders. It shows the team that you are engaged and willing to take care of the tough stuff personally. It demonstrates that you have a good knowledge of the team dynamics and reinforces to the team that you care about each one of them and know what their contributions are.
Hiding behind blanket emails sent to everyone about every transgression is a sign of weakness and insecurity. It sends a message to the team that you are unwilling to engage and you don't understand the dynamics on the team.
Leaders do not need to talk about the problems they are working with the team members. If leaders are in touch with the informal communications system,. they will know that the team is aware of the problems and how the leader is working them. People appreciate modesty and humility. The scary part is that everyone sees the problem. Everyone expects the leader to act. That is the best place to be in because as the leader acts, it reinforces the team standards and assures the team members that the leader cares about the team as a whole.
Leaders must act when confronted with people problems. And they must act personally and directly with the problem. That is the key to success is restoring team morale and harmony.
Cinco de Mayo 2008
Ever wonder about Cinco de Mayo? No it's not Mexican Independence Day. But it should be a North American holiday because it was the last time that Mexico, the United States, or Canada had to defend itself against an invasion by the European colonial powers. 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. That is why Cinco de Mayo is a huge holiday.
So last night we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with some friends. I couldn't remember the name of the battle--but I promised myself to look it up this morning and share it. I wonder why as I think about my schooling that it took until adulthood for me to figure out that Mexico was struggling for its sovereignty just at about the same time that the U.S. was in the middle of a bloody Civil War. If you want to read more about Cinco de Mayo, click on the name. Each of the sites are different and provide a different view of the day. It is important to note that it is very possible the Mexican victory and ensuing struggle probably helped keep the French from supporting the South during the U.S. Civil War and may have significantly shortened that tragic and bloody chapter of U.S. history.
Happy Cinco de Mayo and North American freedom from colonial interference.
So last night we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with some friends. I couldn't remember the name of the battle--but I promised myself to look it up this morning and share it. I wonder why as I think about my schooling that it took until adulthood for me to figure out that Mexico was struggling for its sovereignty just at about the same time that the U.S. was in the middle of a bloody Civil War. If you want to read more about Cinco de Mayo, click on the name. Each of the sites are different and provide a different view of the day. It is important to note that it is very possible the Mexican victory and ensuing struggle probably helped keep the French from supporting the South during the U.S. Civil War and may have significantly shortened that tragic and bloody chapter of U.S. history.
Happy Cinco de Mayo and North American freedom from colonial interference.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Energized Worship
We had an awesome worship experience this week at the church we are attending. It was Youth Sunday and worship was led by about 100 of the most energized for Christ youths I have seen in a long time. They led the worship service and their energy and love for the Lord were infectious. Their energy filled the about 1000 people who had come to worship yesterday morning. It was God-filled. It was a God moment.
I was excited about worship yesterday because of the energy and passion of the youth. How great it was to see teenagers, many of them seniors in high school, excited about God. And sure enough of their faith to share it with adults. Wow. I want some of that.
In contrast, I have been confronted with adults who seem to be going through the motions or are more concerned about form than substance. Maybe substance grows from form, but I'm not so sure. Some worship teams seem to be focused upon the technical aspects of worship rather than being concerned whether the people in the congregation had a God moment. Did the people, for a short time during the Sunday service, have an moment with God that will help them through the week ahead--be it good or bad. Some small moment that reminds them, and us, that God is there and that He cares about us.
God moments can happen anytime--during prayer, during singing, during scripture reading, during the message, while walking outside on a bright sunny morning, or even while watching your grandson play with caterpillars on a bright Sunday afternoon next to the pool. But it is in Church that we need to help people experience God moments so they can recognize them and continue to experience them in their lives. We need to have a personal relationship with God and through God moments we are reminded that God too, wants to have a personal relationship with us. I think it is hard for worship leaders and teams to keep their focus on being the vessels that God is using to touch other people. It is easy to worry that the guitar was too loud, or the music too fast, or something else was right or wrong forgetting to assess the impact on the congregation.
Am I saying worship teams should not strive for technical excellence? No. What I am saying is that when the pursuit of technical excellence displaces the enthusiasm associated with being God-focused vessels then we are impeding God's use of us in His plan. Be on fire for God. Work and refine the gifts and talents that God has given you, but remember they are from God and he will use them for His purpose. And what is His purpose? To strengthen and encourage the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
And most of all--be enthusiastic. Do everything knowing that God is working through you. And He will touch people where He needs to touch them in God moments.
I was excited about worship yesterday because of the energy and passion of the youth. How great it was to see teenagers, many of them seniors in high school, excited about God. And sure enough of their faith to share it with adults. Wow. I want some of that.
In contrast, I have been confronted with adults who seem to be going through the motions or are more concerned about form than substance. Maybe substance grows from form, but I'm not so sure. Some worship teams seem to be focused upon the technical aspects of worship rather than being concerned whether the people in the congregation had a God moment. Did the people, for a short time during the Sunday service, have an moment with God that will help them through the week ahead--be it good or bad. Some small moment that reminds them, and us, that God is there and that He cares about us.
God moments can happen anytime--during prayer, during singing, during scripture reading, during the message, while walking outside on a bright sunny morning, or even while watching your grandson play with caterpillars on a bright Sunday afternoon next to the pool. But it is in Church that we need to help people experience God moments so they can recognize them and continue to experience them in their lives. We need to have a personal relationship with God and through God moments we are reminded that God too, wants to have a personal relationship with us. I think it is hard for worship leaders and teams to keep their focus on being the vessels that God is using to touch other people. It is easy to worry that the guitar was too loud, or the music too fast, or something else was right or wrong forgetting to assess the impact on the congregation.
Am I saying worship teams should not strive for technical excellence? No. What I am saying is that when the pursuit of technical excellence displaces the enthusiasm associated with being God-focused vessels then we are impeding God's use of us in His plan. Be on fire for God. Work and refine the gifts and talents that God has given you, but remember they are from God and he will use them for His purpose. And what is His purpose? To strengthen and encourage the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
And most of all--be enthusiastic. Do everything knowing that God is working through you. And He will touch people where He needs to touch them in God moments.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Pool Opening Weekend--May 2008
It is here. My favorite weekend of the year. The pool opening weekend. Yeah it is a lot of work but it marks the official beginning of summer for the Doan family!
Ugh! The pool looks worse this year than any in the past. It seems I didn't work it hard enough over the winter. But it will clear up quickly. I did a lot of the work on Friday, but we will hopefully finish it off today and it should be swimable by next week! I may even turn the heater on to help it along.
But summer it here! Bring on the lazy, hazy days!
Ugh! The pool looks worse this year than any in the past. It seems I didn't work it hard enough over the winter. But it will clear up quickly. I did a lot of the work on Friday, but we will hopefully finish it off today and it should be swimable by next week! I may even turn the heater on to help it along.
But summer it here! Bring on the lazy, hazy days!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Team Projects: So What Happens When It's Over?
Ever wonder why we think we are too busy to sit together after a project is done and review how it went?
I know I too often am already overwhelmed by the next project on my plate to give much thought to what has been completed. I'm starting to gather what is needed to notch the next success for my team. What's done is done, why waste time thinking about it?
STOP! Think about that for a minute. There are a lot of valuable lessons hidden back there now that the completed project is behind us. There are teaching points and training opportunities. There are successes and there are areas where we need to fess up about not doing what we said we'd do when we said we'd do it.
I spent 21 years in the Air Force--after each flying mission aircrews do what is called a debriefing. Teams need to do the same thing. Together, with the sense of position removed and only with those who participated in the task. There is a lot to learn and go over.
It is not as easy as sitting together and saying: "OK so how'd it go?" But that is a good start. Before the session, every member of the team needs to review the project from their point of view and have a good understanding of their contribution and their tasks.
Team members need to be self critical. But definitely not suicidal. It all has to do with the outcome--if the team outcome was overall successful, then remember that. If the overall outcome was less than successful, then there will be a lot of items to discuss.
Team members need to be honest. They know where the fell short of the mark.
Limit the time. Don't let this drag on into a "pity party" session. The leader should go first and definitely start with self-criticism. "I should have been clearer in specifying the format for the deliverable up front rather than saying, 'I'll know it when I see it,'" for example.
Why do this? Well it will help the junior members of the team learn that everyone makes mistakes as well as being successful. It is a training ground for the future leaders of the team.
As failures are noted, if they are major shortcomings, do an exploration for the root cause. Why did the team come up short. We may know why we failed--we made a bad decision, but what caused the bad decision or failure to consider some external factor. That is the teaching point.
The only way this works is if everyone checks their emotional baggage at the door. And, what is said in the room, stays in the room. It should not show up on performance appraisals or in water cooler discussions. The review of the activity needs to be a safe zone—or nothing will be gained. Everyone needs to come clean.
The leader needs to maintain order--one person at a time talking. And--it is OK to write down the larger items for the future such as best practices that worked and processes which need improving corporately.
This type of process is really applicable to every team endeavor including sports, musical bands, and organizational process teams. Groups with a performance activity involved, like a band, actually can have some very concrete data to review on the character of their performance. Recordings from the activity. Organizational teams can review process charts and the products as the basis for their review.
I do personal debriefings in my life--for successes and failures. It drives my wife crazy because I go over what happened (sometimes multiple times which is too many), what was the situation, what were the external influences, how did I react, how should I have reacted, what did I do and what should I have done. I do this after I play racquetball, after I do a project like working on my Jaguar, or a home improvement--good or bad, or serve as a leader for a conference or a performance oriented group. I do it after a poor interaction with someone. My personal debriefing gives me a basis for modifying my behavior. I also look for outside information (like form my wife) as to how my perceptions were askew from reality. I will even do a debrief if, for instance, I leave home without locking the door. I try to recreate the situation and my actions to determine where I should have acted and what external influence distracted me so that I did not act.
Leaders, take time. Schedule time. Make your teams go over the task just completed so they can learn from it and apply those teaching points to future projects. The apparent resource investment will more than pay for itself in future productivity and team morale.
I know I too often am already overwhelmed by the next project on my plate to give much thought to what has been completed. I'm starting to gather what is needed to notch the next success for my team. What's done is done, why waste time thinking about it?
STOP! Think about that for a minute. There are a lot of valuable lessons hidden back there now that the completed project is behind us. There are teaching points and training opportunities. There are successes and there are areas where we need to fess up about not doing what we said we'd do when we said we'd do it.
I spent 21 years in the Air Force--after each flying mission aircrews do what is called a debriefing. Teams need to do the same thing. Together, with the sense of position removed and only with those who participated in the task. There is a lot to learn and go over.
It is not as easy as sitting together and saying: "OK so how'd it go?" But that is a good start. Before the session, every member of the team needs to review the project from their point of view and have a good understanding of their contribution and their tasks.
Team members need to be self critical. But definitely not suicidal. It all has to do with the outcome--if the team outcome was overall successful, then remember that. If the overall outcome was less than successful, then there will be a lot of items to discuss.
Team members need to be honest. They know where the fell short of the mark.
Limit the time. Don't let this drag on into a "pity party" session. The leader should go first and definitely start with self-criticism. "I should have been clearer in specifying the format for the deliverable up front rather than saying, 'I'll know it when I see it,'" for example.
Why do this? Well it will help the junior members of the team learn that everyone makes mistakes as well as being successful. It is a training ground for the future leaders of the team.
As failures are noted, if they are major shortcomings, do an exploration for the root cause. Why did the team come up short. We may know why we failed--we made a bad decision, but what caused the bad decision or failure to consider some external factor. That is the teaching point.
The only way this works is if everyone checks their emotional baggage at the door. And, what is said in the room, stays in the room. It should not show up on performance appraisals or in water cooler discussions. The review of the activity needs to be a safe zone—or nothing will be gained. Everyone needs to come clean.
The leader needs to maintain order--one person at a time talking. And--it is OK to write down the larger items for the future such as best practices that worked and processes which need improving corporately.
This type of process is really applicable to every team endeavor including sports, musical bands, and organizational process teams. Groups with a performance activity involved, like a band, actually can have some very concrete data to review on the character of their performance. Recordings from the activity. Organizational teams can review process charts and the products as the basis for their review.
I do personal debriefings in my life--for successes and failures. It drives my wife crazy because I go over what happened (sometimes multiple times which is too many), what was the situation, what were the external influences, how did I react, how should I have reacted, what did I do and what should I have done. I do this after I play racquetball, after I do a project like working on my Jaguar, or a home improvement--good or bad, or serve as a leader for a conference or a performance oriented group. I do it after a poor interaction with someone. My personal debriefing gives me a basis for modifying my behavior. I also look for outside information (like form my wife) as to how my perceptions were askew from reality. I will even do a debrief if, for instance, I leave home without locking the door. I try to recreate the situation and my actions to determine where I should have acted and what external influence distracted me so that I did not act.
Leaders, take time. Schedule time. Make your teams go over the task just completed so they can learn from it and apply those teaching points to future projects. The apparent resource investment will more than pay for itself in future productivity and team morale.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
I Walked out of the Club This Morning, and
it was beautiful. I had just finished playing a match of racquetball and I noticed that day had broken, it was about 6:30 AM. The sky was bright. And I was filled with a sense of hope for the day.
I've been driving my Jaguar, even though I really don't want to, because my truck needs a new engine due to an oil pump failure. I like my Jag, but I did not buy it to be an every day car. Though it is fun to drive, I really want to turn it into a show car. And it has Historic plates on it, which the garage says is OK to drive since it is not an everyday car, but my everyday car is laid up.
I get to play racquetball three times this week at 5:30 AM--and I really like starting my day that way. What a great way to use my time and to get the energy level up for the day.
Do I win or lose and does it matter? Not really. Of course I'd lie if I said I didn't like winning--but I used to play a guy who I almost never beat--and my game improved dramatically over the four years we played so that by the end I was winning about a third of our matches. Now, I'm in a league and playing one guy fairly regularly. I can't remember a time when I was in as good shape as I'm in now.
So, I walked out of the club this morning with the earth alive and birds singing. It made me happy. Joy of living and life.
I've been driving my Jaguar, even though I really don't want to, because my truck needs a new engine due to an oil pump failure. I like my Jag, but I did not buy it to be an every day car. Though it is fun to drive, I really want to turn it into a show car. And it has Historic plates on it, which the garage says is OK to drive since it is not an everyday car, but my everyday car is laid up.
I get to play racquetball three times this week at 5:30 AM--and I really like starting my day that way. What a great way to use my time and to get the energy level up for the day.
Do I win or lose and does it matter? Not really. Of course I'd lie if I said I didn't like winning--but I used to play a guy who I almost never beat--and my game improved dramatically over the four years we played so that by the end I was winning about a third of our matches. Now, I'm in a league and playing one guy fairly regularly. I can't remember a time when I was in as good shape as I'm in now.
So, I walked out of the club this morning with the earth alive and birds singing. It made me happy. Joy of living and life.
Team Competition: Playing in the Sandbox
Leaders! Come on now. Remember kindergarten. What good comes from throwing sand into other's eyes? Yeah, I know--we feel good for a couple of seconds, but then we usually get called upon to clean up the mess. So why make the mess in the first place?
In the world of team dynamics there is always going to come a time when teams or organizations come into conflict or competition. Competition can be a good thing for the larger organization. Conflict is probably not a good thing. It all comes down to how the leaders handle the situation.
There is of course good competition between teams. But, where it gets bad is when the competition becomes destructive--either in the relationships between the teams or in the overall outcome. Competition on teams can also be a good thing and help people strive for excellence--but again, leaders must be careful to encourage healthy competition.
So as a leader--how do we play together nicely in the sand box while encouraging competition?
Most important, ensure that the nothing gets personal. No personal attacks on people. Everything must be held to the inanimate object, impersonal level. Once things get personal, that is when the sand is beginning to leave the sandbox.
Keep the competition focused on the objective. It is easy to devolve into scrapping for smaller goals and nonsense items, but if the competition remains focused on the organizational goal--then everyone on the team should feel empowered to contribute. If, for instance, the competition on the team becomes focused on the presentation--then other members of the team will become disenfranchised and potentially reduce the significant contributions in their areas of expertise.
Insulate the team, as much as possible, from outside influences which will seek to distract them. Sometimes, bringing in outside influences only increases stress while not serving to improve performance. Leaders must know their team well enough to encourage them and not demotivate or unnecessarily stress them--which usually results in sub-par performance.
Leaders should also identify the external factors and people/teams which are potential trouble spots and attempt to keep them from throwing sand into the eyes of their team.
The sandbox of organization in which teams play can be very small. Leaders should protect their teams and not throw sand at other teams which will engender retribution. The ability to meet organizational goals should be the standard of success, not the broken bodies and sand-filled eyes of the competitors.
In the world of team dynamics there is always going to come a time when teams or organizations come into conflict or competition. Competition can be a good thing for the larger organization. Conflict is probably not a good thing. It all comes down to how the leaders handle the situation.
There is of course good competition between teams. But, where it gets bad is when the competition becomes destructive--either in the relationships between the teams or in the overall outcome. Competition on teams can also be a good thing and help people strive for excellence--but again, leaders must be careful to encourage healthy competition.
So as a leader--how do we play together nicely in the sand box while encouraging competition?
Most important, ensure that the nothing gets personal. No personal attacks on people. Everything must be held to the inanimate object, impersonal level. Once things get personal, that is when the sand is beginning to leave the sandbox.
Keep the competition focused on the objective. It is easy to devolve into scrapping for smaller goals and nonsense items, but if the competition remains focused on the organizational goal--then everyone on the team should feel empowered to contribute. If, for instance, the competition on the team becomes focused on the presentation--then other members of the team will become disenfranchised and potentially reduce the significant contributions in their areas of expertise.
Insulate the team, as much as possible, from outside influences which will seek to distract them. Sometimes, bringing in outside influences only increases stress while not serving to improve performance. Leaders must know their team well enough to encourage them and not demotivate or unnecessarily stress them--which usually results in sub-par performance.
Leaders should also identify the external factors and people/teams which are potential trouble spots and attempt to keep them from throwing sand into the eyes of their team.
The sandbox of organization in which teams play can be very small. Leaders should protect their teams and not throw sand at other teams which will engender retribution. The ability to meet organizational goals should be the standard of success, not the broken bodies and sand-filled eyes of the competitors.
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