5 Pitfalls to Avoid when Selecting a Solo Teammate

5 Pitfalls to Avoid when Selecting a Solo Teammate

In yesterday’s article, the 6 Benefits to Working with a Solo Teammate, we shared how two great teammates work together. Today, we share common pitfalls or challenges to avoid and consider when selecting or working with a teammate. For good reason, the competitors we turned to did not want to have their names referenced.

Major pitfalls one should consider when selecting a teammate:

Pitfall #1: Personality conflicts. “When I beat my teammate, there can be animosity. The tough part is knowing whether it is a short-term or a long-term issue that builds. My partner got so discouraged that he became resistant to sharing information. I’ve learned that selecting the right partner that has a sincere interest in growing together and cheering me on is critical to build on our goals. You both need to have similar passion and goals.

Pitfall #2: Money could play a problem. “I did not have the same funds as my teammate and was not able to invest the same into the car; it put a lot of undue stress on everything. You may not think that it would extend to who gets more say, or the final say, into how the car is setup, but it can. And when it is a big event, it only got worse.”

Pitfall #3: Different driving styles can lead to sharing misinformation. “You’ll find some people run different lines in an autocross course, so inputs into the steering wheel, the throttle and brake will vary between drivers. Then speeds will almost certainly vary. At that point, while there may be good intentions to share information, sometimes it can be misleading. The key is to understand all these factors to hedge this phenomenon of misinformation.”

Pitfall #4: More wear and tear on the car, particularly tires. “Consider the fact that you are sharing a set of tires with your teammate, and those tires may not be stickers (a new set). It goes from you working the car hard during a weekend, to two people working it hard. When one starts to slide it around, the problem only worsens. Ask yourself, ‘How hard are you on equipment?’ Then, try to figure it out the same for your teammate. And then you may have to remember to be sensitive to personality conflicts.”

Pitfall #5: Time availability. “The question is simple, ‘Can we both make it to the event?’ While I may want to go to an event, sometimes I cannot due to my work schedule. My teammate and I linked up for several reasons, which made a lot of sense theoretically. But execution is another thing.”