Watching a tug of war match is great fun.

Two individuals or teams, if evenly matched, give it their all. Sweat, power, energy, and eventually a winner.

But think about this: tug of war only works if both sides are trying hard.

If one side didn’t pull, then what’s the point? If the other didn’t resist, then what’s the point? The whole thing doesn’t even exist unless you have two sides giving it their all.

And if you remove the goal of simply winning, and instead have the goal of energy and fun then two sides can pull hard and still raise a glass and high five afterward.

Salespeople can have fun tug of war matches. It’s okay to be an equal power of resistance. Sales rep vs. sales rep. Or rep vs. account. Or somm vs. blind wines. Set it up for fun, pull as hard as you can, and raise a glass afterward.

What I’m saying is this: hard work and tension are a wonderful thing, as long as both sides are part of the game.

Good luck. Pull hard.