article_snippet: (CNN)What's your company doing this year for March Madness?  
article_snippet: Instead of leveraging the NCAA's annual tournament and turning the NCAA's annual tournament into a genuine bonding experience between colleagues, most organizations pretend the NCAA's annual tournament isn't happening.
article_snippet: On the surface, ignoring a sporting event that takes place during regular work hours might appear like sound business practice.
article_snippet: For many, the NCAA basketball tournament is associated with the NCAA basketball tournament experience at college, which leads the NCAA basketball tournament to share stories about the NCAA basketball tournament past, prompting co-workers to do the same.
article_snippet: In recent years, a number of forward-thinking workplaces have begun leveraging March Madness in intelligent ways.
article_snippet: To address the fact that not everyone has the time to follow college basketball, a Virginia financial services firm called The Motley Fool offers a free "Bracketology" class, where nonenthusiasts can get caught up on this year's favorites and collect advice before filling out their brackets.
article_snippet: Some years ago, NetTel Partners, a sales organization in Philadelphia, launched a competition among NetTel Partners salespeople in the weeks before the NCAA tournament.
article_snippet: Total cost to NetTel for furnishing prizes: $300, plus the price of a personalized basketball jersey.
article_snippet: As the NCAA tournament tips off this month, organizational leaders would be wise to re-examine organizational leaders approach to March Madness.
article_snippet: Instead of treating the NCAA tournament as a nuisance that prevents employees from working, perhaps it's time we considered embracing it for what it is: an inexpensive opportunity for bringing our work teams closer together.
highlights_snippet: Companies should encourage Companies employees to bond over NCAA tournament games .
  