Teaming Up To Win

A group working for success can best be seen in a sports team. The nature of the job demands success on a regular basis. They have to win regularly. Success is clearly defined which can make the job easier or harder. The success or failure is highly visible against a backdrop of clear rules and regulations. In that way, sports, especially professional sports is easier than most jobs. There are very few controversial wins. Those that happen, happen in clear view of the public.
There are many things to learn from watching a sports team working towards success. For example, they have many types of leaders each with their roles:
  • Coaches. They have specific skills required by the team do their job. In this way they are like a subject matter expert or a consultant. They don't play but greatly influence what happens on the field. Their knowledge about the sport can give a team the edge they need on game day. The experience they impart gives the team lessons it can learn without the hard knocks. And they also provide the voice to lead them and raise the team's spirit when the chips are down.
  • Team Captains. They are the group leader directly in charge, involved in the day-to-day affairs. They participate directly in implementing the solution or reaching the goal. Unlike the coach, they are involved on the match on the field. They directly contribute to the success of the team as both leader and as a team member. Their leadership can shape a team's response to setbacks and can focus the team on the game at hand even when things are not going the team's way. Critical decisions will need to be made by them together with the coaches. Everybody is looking to them and looking up to them.
  • Team members. They are the individual members with general and specific responsibilities and tasks. Each of them are leaders for themselves. While working together, they are responsible for themselves, clear with the knowledge that their success will contribute to the team's success. Their motivate themselves as well as others around them.
Understanding where our role is in a team or group is key to working together and solving the problems that arises. Which is yours? Continued in Part 2.

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