Teams coached by team members
March Madness has been ruling television everywhere; people are talking about their brackets, which has provided a bit of a break from talking about the economy, the financial industry, and the auto industry. He was watching an interview with Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Izzo, he talked about how one of his players, in the middle of the game, suggested a change in strategy that would give them a strategic advantage to win the game. play; not just any game, but a critical game that put MSU in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Izzo said, “A team led by players is better than a team led by coaches.” He later added, “When you have a player-led team, you listen to them.”
As often happens, that statement got me thinking in general terms about teams. In life, I am a member of a team in a variety of teams — my family, my tennis team, my volleyball team, I am in a team with my friends, with my clients, with associations, etc… We they are all “team members” from any variety of groups, associations, work teams, families, etc. In the variety of teams that we are associated with, are we on player-led teams or coach-led teams?
Some people do not accept the concept of teams being teams outside of a sports setting; so i decided to look up some definitions of a team. Here is a sample of what I found:
- a cooperative unit (wordnet.Princeton.edu)
- a team made up of a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose (Wikipedia.com)
- A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually accountable (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993).
Work teams
A few years ago, I led a team working on a cost reduction project. I was the youngest person on the team, so it was a real honor for me to be the leader of that team. It was a great experience and really taught me a little about how teams can achieve tremendous results. Our tremendous quick results included more than $260 million in cost savings. The team knew that I had the most knowledge and experience in cost reduction projects, which is why they made me the team leader. I knew that the more I knew, collectively, we as a team knew more. I was constantly seeking their input, their insights, and sometimes needed other people to take the leadership role. It was that bit of “humility” that allowed us to grow as a team and propelled us not only to achieve our initial goals, but to go far beyond even our own expectations.
Leaders – As a team leader, whatever your title, you have certain roles to play. It is your responsibility to provide the team with a clear vision. It is your responsibility to clearly communicate your goals and expectations. It is your responsibility to create an environment geared towards trust, open communication, creative thinking and cohesive teamwork. Leaders are also responsible for developing, coaching, and mentoring team members.
Leaders, how are you leading? Do you, at appropriate times, step out of a leadership role to allow your teams to be coached or managed by teams? Do you encourage two-way communication to ensure goals and expectations are clearly understood? Do you value the knowledge, expertise and experience within your team? Do you have a humble element in your leadership? Are you able and willing to let your team lead while you follow? Are you listening to your team the way Coach Izzo did to gain a strategic advantage to win a critical game?
Team Members: As team members, you also have certain roles to play. Must be committed to the purpose and vision of the organization. Team members need to establish rapport and trust with each other. Team members need to share knowledge and experience. Team members must be able to ask questions and have open communication.
As team members, are you asking questions? Are you letting your knowledge and experience shine? Are you committed to the purpose and vision of the team? Are you supporting leadership with suggestions to improve effectiveness or sharing new ideas to achieve team goals? Are you ready and willing to take on a leadership role?
family teams
Families are teams too; each member of the family brings skills, personality, and roles to the family just as team members and players do in organizations and sports teams. Families have an identity that makes them unique in design and purpose. Family identity is important so that the family-team can achieve its goals and fulfill its purpose. As family leaders, do you hold your team accountable for their actions? As a parent, are you and your children working toward the same goals?
Trainers Challenge
Teams and team leaders need to align to achieve team goals, live the vision, and achieve their purpose. Identify all the teams in which you are actively involved; then work through the following questions:
- Does the team have a clear goal, a vision, a purpose? If so, does each team member understand the goal, vision, and purpose? If not, work together to establish team goals, vision, and purpose.
- How is teamwork recognized and/or rewarded?
- Is there open and honest two-way communication between the team and the team leader?
- Does everyone on the team understand the strengths and weaknesses of each team member? How are you using and developing those strengths?
- Does each team have a balance between leader-led and team-led teams?
