A Talent for Winning

You see it in sports all the time. You have the up and coming team going against the rapidly aging former champion.

On paper the younger team should win but instead the old team gets the victory. Often people will say that the young team, simply “Hasn’t learned how to win yet.”

I think that’s an oversimplification of what it means to be a successful team or organization. In today’s complex, ever changing business world, there’s a lot we can learn from what happens on the playing field so let’s Clear the Path of the distractions that can keep your team from beating the competition.

Distractions: A successful team has focus and can block out distractions, especially during pressure packed times. An athlete relies on repetition so that a winning performance is not undermined by a hostile crowd.

How does you team react when faced with hostile customers, perhaps those who have come from a bad situation that your company has created?

Does the quality of their performance change when things are really busy? Everyone can deliver great customer service when things are slow. Having a busy day is a sign of success but does your team wilt under the pressure?

Belief in Your Plan: Coaches draw up a game plan and the players are expected to follow it. It may involve a less prominent role for certain players or several dull plays designed to set up a big one.

If the players feel that they know better, they may start to freelance. Now they are relying on their skill as individuals, rather than a team, to produce success.

Your company has a game plan, only it’s broken down into branding, customer service, and sales. Do people follow these plans or start to freelance?

In the office and on the playing field, a leader should be willing to change a game plan if it doesn’t appear to be working. But the change has to come from the top and not from your teammates or employees thinking that they know better.

Know Your Team: A good sports team has the right mix of veterans and youth. An effective coach realizes that not every player is the same. Some may require more rest than others. The younger players may need more one-on-one coaching.

The idea is that you are focused on bringing out the best from every person, regardless of their talent level. It’s about productivity, not fairness.

In your office, do you treat everyone the same way? Why?

Let’s say you have a high performer who may not be able to work for you much longer because a child needs to be picked up from day care a half hour before your office closes. Do you lose the talent over a half hour or allow the employee to make up the time with a flexible schedule?

If you have someone who is lacking an important skill, like creating spreadsheets, do you just accept the shortcoming or send the employee to get some training on that topic?

Do your seasoned employees act like veterans and help your new team members or is it an every man for himself culture?

Bottom Line: A successful organization is a mix of talent and commitment to a mission. Winning rarely happens by accident.