There is a lot written about teamwork. But, most people have never been on a high-performance team, thus they do not have a real framework or experience base to work from.
In addition, there are lots of different kinds of teams:
- A golf team is a loose collection of individuals all playing their own games. The team wins if enough people play their individual matches well. However, it is possible for an individual to win the overall trophy, yet have their team lose the match.
- A football team is a interdependent group of very diverse individuals, each of whom have very specialized skills. Some weigh 380 pounds, others weigh 180. In addition, there are sub-teams within the team, such as the offense, defense, and special teams. However, there is only one score … everyone wins or loses as a team.
- A crew team is, in contrast, much more interconnected and homogeneous group. Each member is very similar, and has a virtually identical build and skill-set. There is only one team, and they must work in perfect harmony in order to win.
- The US Olympic team is not a team at all; it is just a collection of individual athletes and disconnected teams. Frankly, most of them could care less if the US wins the overall medal count … all they care about is winning their medal.
So, rather than take your executives to a ropes course, perhaps you should simply define what you mean by team. It is harder than you might think.
The Shift Points blog is designed for Fast Lane leaders who want to leave their competitors in the dust.
Shift Your Thinking … Accelerate Your Results.