Leading Winning Teams

3The Formula for Great Teams Is People (and We All Need Them)

Everyone in business, organizations, and sports would like to have an effective team. And when I ask organizations “How is your team?” the inevitable answer is “Oh, we have a great team!” But the reality is that most teams are not actually all that good. So many organizations spend very little time acquiring or developing talent. One of the things I learned in pro sports was that a ton of effort, energy, and money is spent on finding the right players. And the best in the world at this—those whose only job is this primary responsibility—fail all the time. They miss, and many organizations miss. So thinking that your organization is thriving when you are not spending any time, focused effort, or money on it is bonkers!

I love what Bill Belichick has to say about teams:

“I'll know we have a great team when every person on the team knows their role and they are doing it.”

This fabulous definition of high-quality teams is a remarkably simple one. I find that most organizations I work with often have both these challenges. First, I notice that several of the team members do not really understand their roles. No one who has been in a job for months should have to come to work every day and ask their direct supervisor, “What do you need me to do today?” This is a breakdown in training, specific communication guidelines, or unclear expectations for that person. Another issue is that, even when the roles are well defined, ...