When Casey got the award at the annual meeting, no one was surprised. He was a marketing genius, and his team’s success was unparalleled in the history of the company. He was clearly a rising star.
The problem was, his fellow team members thought he was a pain in the neck. He wasn’t a team player, he didn’t share information and he kept recognition for himself.
Although aware of Casey’s lack of team skills, senior management was pleased with the results he delivered, and they were afraid that expecting him to be a team player would dampen his brilliance.
They were wrong.
A team can have both brilliant players and great teamwork… if the team is not built around an individual, if team-oriented behaviors are expected, and if the team is held accountable and recognized for its results.
Take a lesson from Red Auerbach, “the most successful team official in NBA history,” with 16 NBA championships during his tenure. Auerbach redefined basketball to become a game dominated by team play. Although he moved the emphasis away from individual accolades, many of the players he groomed were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, including Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird.
Under Auerbach’s guidance, players discovered that their own brilliance increased when they supported each other’s brilliance and that the team performed at a higher level.
Practicing these 12 team skills will make your team stronger while allowing your own brilliance to shine:
- Pick up the ball. Participate. Share information and ideas.
- Head toward the basket. Keep your contributions relevant. Avoid going off on tangents.
- Be aware of where your teammates are. Listen carefully and openly to other’s ideas and suggestions.
- Understand your team’s positions. Ask questions to help deepen understanding.
- Keep moving. Build on the ideas of others.
- See the whole playing field. Summarize ideas and suggestions.
- Pass the ball. Balance your level of participation with others.
- Cheer your teammates on. Recognize other’s contributions.
- Keep your eye on the ball. Criticize ideas, not people. Be objective and specific in feedback.
- If a team member drops the ball, pick it up. Help your teammates out. Offer ideas for improvement, not complaints.
- Support team decisions. If you change your mind, discuss it first with the team before you announce it to others.
- Wear your jersey. Remember you’re a member of the team. Share responsibility for both the wins and the losses.
Hi Jesse. Great post!
You’re point is well-taken. There’s a second lesson that we can learn from your post. Many managers are afraid of criticizing their star players. The problem is that they serve as poor role models for the rest of the team. Before you know it, other members of the team begin to emulate their bad habits. The key is to treat Casey like everyone else. Thanks so much for sharing.
Best,
Frank
Good point. And even if team members do not begin to emulate the bad habits, seeing poor team behavior rewarded is demoralizing and ultimately team performance will deteriorate.
Thanks so much for extending the conversation, Frank.
Hi Jesse
I’ve been on teams where there was a prima donna and everyone else was expected to do the grunt work while the star schmoozed with the boss….ugh! It dampens morale and creates friction within the team. This article is a great reminder that every team member should be treated the same….
It does dampen morale, and ultimately sabotages the effectiveness of the team. I wrote the post from the viewpoint of team members because all team members need to use these skills, whether they are a prima donna or not. But the other side, which you are pointing out, is that leaders need to understand the detrimental effect on the team when they single one person out for accolades. Thanks so much for pointing out this important aspect, LaRae.
Your piece is a reminder to all leaders that building a team takes patience to focus on the less visible strengths of the team. Often a high performer may try to make other team members look deficient. It’s easy for the star to blame the leader for not having better players on the team. One way to offset that is to ensure that the high performers know that part of their growth and responsibility is to support development the strengths of the others on the team.
Establishing a development culture will help the team’s performance skyrocket. The high performers clearly have something worthwhile to teach their teammates. And they will discover that in fact, everyone on the team has something to teach and learn from each other.
Jesse, what an awesome post! I love the 12 team skills that you describe. What I get most out of your post is how the leader must REALLY know the team. Not just sit in an office and shell out assignments… but being involved, being out there, walking the talk! That is what TRUE leadership is about. I will be sharing this fantastic post. Have a great day!
Great point, Cynthia. If a leader wants to help their team, they need to know them, and if they want to know them, they need to be involved. Glad you enjoyed this post. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi Jesse. I love sports analogies to help us learn leadership principles. Auerbach cultivated a team-first mentality where the name on the front of the jersey was more important than the name on the back. In today’s “me-first” culture, showing team members how their personal needs for success can be met via the team’s success is a critical skill for effective leadership.
Randy
Love that, Randy! – “the name on the front of the jersey was more important than the name on the back.” Thanks so much for adding to the conversation.
Jesse, I love the simplicity of the post and the list! It is very colorful, easy to visualize and filled with wisdom! The entire list is great – but #10 and #11 resonate loudly!
..And I agree, I love Randy’s quote about name on the front of the jersey being more important than the back!
Thanks, Chery. Even sophisticated team members forget these every once in awhile, especially #10, and the effect on the team is detrimental.
Hi Jesse
You reminded me of my youth with this post. Like many people in North America in my younger days I was the typical jock, always playing some sport. Most of them where in fact team sports. Though I had many coaches and often played with the same group of friends, our greatest successes were under coaches that demand we play like a team. On one basketball team we did especially well considering that by all rights we should have been a second rate team, we actually went through the season and playoffs with only losing one game (an exhibition game that didn’t matter). We did so well because we played like a team, the coach had us so well drilled to play for easy layup shots that most players never even considered taking longer shots even if they were wide open. It was the single greatest feeling you could ever experience, in easy victories the better players actually played very little, which allowed the weaker players to improve, which came in very handy during a few tough playoff games (we had some injuries and flu bugs bite us in the playoffs). If you do not develop the weaker players, you will be in big trouble when the star gets sick or injured (or as often happens in pro sports or business they leave for more money).
I also learned that from a high school soccer coach, I started my first season as the teams star goal keeper, but ended it as one of the forwards (I had never played forward in my life until that point). Yet because he took and rearranged us to strengthen the team, we went undefeated for three years and our once ignored soccer team, became one of the focal teams of the school. I may not have shined as much as a forward, but our team sure did, and getting to hang those three victory banners up in front of the whole student body, sure made us feel great, no other team ever racked up three championships in a row. I very much doubt we would have won even one title if we would have suck with playing for our egos and personal glory. In business sometimes you have to take someone that is really strong at a job and have them perform functions they are only good at, because it will make for a better result. In my work life I often had that done to me and I also often did it to others, because the whole is what matters, and personal glory is just a load of expensive manure (it usually also results in a poorer bottom-line).
Hi Robert, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful stories that illuminate the power (and fun) of real teamwork. And as you demonstrate, the implications for teams at work are obvious.
Hi Jesse,
I love the sports analogy you have used. There is no better way to drive team skills than sports. Your 12 points are simple and can be used as a ready reckoner for all.
Thanks, Mansoor. So glad you found it helpful.
Hey Jesse,
We were just talking today about what makes great teams and great leaders and came across your post — well said! One thing that came up for us was the ability to be vulnerable. For a leader or a team member to be brave enough to say, “I need help with this.” puts us on an equal human level which creates trust among the team.
Thanks for sharing this analogy!
Future State
Absolutely! An excellent addition. Thanks for sharing it!