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Balancing Teams
By
Glenn Morris
Whether in sports, business, families, or almost any other undertaking we are part of, our success often depends as much on the team we play with as on our own individual abilities. We can all think of examples of extremely talented people who are part of failing teams. As a fan of the NBA, people like Tracy McGrady, Elton Brand, and Vince Carter come quickly to my mind.
What makes one team succeed and another team fail? Why do teams which seem to have lots of talent fail to win? On the other hand, why do teams that have no apparent “superstars” rise to the challenge time and again and come away victorious?
Recently, I was selected to lead an ongoing project as part of a group I belong to. As the project leader, I was told I could pick the team that would work with me. Other than the number of people on the team, I wasn’t given any real guidelines or rules to follow when selecting people to work on the project. It was up to me to pick a team which would have the best possible chance for success.
The project that we were assigned to lead was important to the group and would impact a lot of people, so picking the right team to lead the project was critical. I started by reviewing some of the teams that I had been part of in the past. What were the characteristics that made the good ones work and the bad ones not? What was it about the people on those teams that made up the “chemistry” of the group? By combining the mission of the team I was supposed to build with the experiences I had had in the past with the advice of the person who had led the project before me, I hit my answer. I was able to come up with a list of characteristics and values that I wanted to fill through the teammates I selected to be part of the team.
Commitment. First, because our task was great and the size of the team would be relatively small, I knew that I needed people who were committed to our mission and who would work hard to make that mission come to life. It was important that I not put people on the team who were interested primarily in building their own resume or reputation, but who truly wanted the work of the team to succeed.
Initiative. In addition to working hard, I needed people who could think for themselves. I knew that I didn’t have all of the answers or enough time to commit to the project by myself to ever be able to see everything that needed to be done, or to micromanage people and resources to get things done. I needed team members who knew enough about our task and who were confident enough in themselves and in our team as a whole, that they would be comfortable making decisions when they needed to be made.
Loyalty. While I knew I wanted people who could exercise initiative when it was called for, I also knew I needed to make sure that the people selected to be part of the team would in fact be loyal – both to the team and to the underlying mission of our team. Just as I wanted them to be confident that they could make decisions on their own, I also wanted them to have the judgment and loyalty necessary to know when not to make a decision… but instead, to return to the group for a broader discussion about the ultimate solution. Grandstanding or promoting one’s own accomplishments or agenda ahead of the team would be very damaging to our team and to our objectives.
Accountability. Most important for me was finding team members who would accept accountability for the roles assigned to them. I was not afraid of team members making honest mistakes as they pursued our mission, but I wanted to know that they had the character to acknowledge those mistakes and learn from them. I also knew that we would all be so busy that it was important for each of us to know that we could trust each other to follow through on commitments and to complete what we started.
For an NBA team to be successful, they need to have players who can score, pass, rebound, and play defense. Simply excelling at one aspect of the game won’t do it. The team has to be balanced, has to work together, and must cover all of the important aspects of the game.
The bottom line I learned was that my team – just like a good NBA team -- had to have that same type of balance. If everyone on the team tries to be the star scorer all the time, who’s left to play defense? We needed people who would be willing to make an “assist” in order for someone else on the team to score. We needed people to back up their team members and “rebound” their misses.
As I looked at the people who were available to me as potential members of my team, I tried to assess their potential in each of the key areas I had identified. What was their track record? Had they shown initiative and loyalty on other projects they had worked on? Had they demonstrated a willingness to stick to the project they were working on – even when the tasks required weren’t glamorous or fun? Had they accepted responsibility for the decisions they had made and shared credit for their successes with fellow team members?
When an NBA team is considering a new player to add to their roster, they scout them out by observing them in action with their current team and by talking to players and coaches who have worked with them in the past. If what they learn through this type of observation leads them to believe that the player has potential, they bring them in for a try-out. This gives them the chance to put the potential team member through tests or challenges designed to help the coaches see how the player reacts in various circumstances. It also gives the player the chance to demonstrate what he can bring to the team if selected.
Similarly, when selecting members of the team for my project, I tried to get a good understanding of the candidates’ past performance by talking with project leaders and others who had worked with them in the past. I talked with members of teams they were currently working on to see how they were performing. Then, as we started our project, I was able to use some of the initial start-up activities as “try-outs” by asking potential team contributors to take on small tasks on a temporary or trial basis.
NBA teams win when all of their players are contributing at peak performance. This year, the team to beat appears to be the Los Angeles Lakers. Why? Start with the fact that they have four players on their team who are the very best at their individual positions. Add to that the fact that they have a world class coach. A winning tradition and great supporting players in backup roles round out the package and make the team nearly unstoppable.
As leaders, we often are in the role of the coach who must create winning teams out of the varied and disparate individuals who make up our overall group. By balancing personalities, strengths (and weaknesses), interests, backgrounds, and approaches among the members of whatever team we are putting together, we increase the odds that we will be successful. The greater diversity we can bring together the stronger the group.
Glenn Morris, the current Executive Director of California Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, is a member of TRI's Strategic Leadership Alliance and a new contributor to the Leadership Solutions Network. Click here to learn more about Glenn and how to contact him!
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