A manager, whose organization is falling behind schedule, laments: “We’ve got world-class talent. All-star capability. But we’re like a swim team – and we need to be a volleyball team.”
“What do you mean,” I ask.
“Swimmers are only responsible for doing their best as individuals. They swim by themselves, and score points,” he answered. “Volleyball players have to do their best – and, they have to do it in coordination with others. They have to time their moves. Play to each other’s greatest strengths. Follow a game plan. They have to be a team.”
If the talent in an organization can’t work together, there might as well be no talent. Talent fails when leadership fails. Knowing we have to work together doesn’t mean we can – or will.
Ask your team: “Do you know how – and are you – setting your peers up for greater success? Are we leaving potential unrealized?”
Which would you place a bet on: A collection of top talent that doesn’t work together? Or a team of mediocre talent that can leverage each other’s strengths?
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I would take either… You can make the case that a team of mediocre talant, leveraging each others strength’s, would certainly not be mediocre for long.
On the other hand, operating with degrees of strength, the right leader, getting the top talent to work together as a team, can push the envelope… so to speak.
Yo Dale – You make a good point, and the key: “…operating in Degrees of Strength, the right leader…can push the envelope.” Degrees of Strength in any situation ensures forward progress.
Crafty, Dale. Very crafty. Thanks – Craig
Comment* I agree that we all need to work together to accomplish the greater good but, like the swim team we also need to stay in our lane at times also. If communication is not clear and everyone understands their roles there can be a lot of double coverage and dropped balls because “I thought it was yours” or players waiting around for the ball to come to them. As with all leadership issues a simple conversation goes a long way.
Wise words, Mike. I know your character, so your ideas resonate even more. Perhaps you ought to think about writing your own leadership book: “The Art of Simple Leadership Conversations” I’d buy it.
Thanks – Craig
Our team is an incredibly talented volleyball team. We work well together and get amazing amounts of superior quality work accomplished. We are a team in every sense of the word. We have synergy, we have enthusiasm, we have innovation.
However, lately, we’ve been slipping. Balls are hitting the floor, and we all hurry to the place where the ball hit, and look at the spot, trying to come up with a way to cover better – and then another ball hits WAHBAAAMMM!! on the other side of the court.
The really critical question is what do you do when the court is expanded to the full size of the gym and you still only have 6 players to cover the whole surface? How do the wonderfully talented people survive when the “spikes” are coming hard and fast and there simply isn’t enough time to cover the amount of work coming down the pipe?
First, Megan, congratulations on the effective team you’ve already created. You have an important foundation from which to build.
Second – terrific questions. And, in response, here’s where you can go next: Just as we address in our new book, Degrees of Strength, you can ask great questions…but if the focus isn’t accurate, the questions often bacfire. And even more importantly, the paradigm you begin with is the key! (These are the 3 steps of the DoS technique.)
The good news? You and your team are receiving an invitation to go to a new level of effectiveness. It’s isn’t easy. You’ll have tough choices to make along the way. And it sounds as though you have tremendous strengths to leverage.
All the best to you. Thanks – Craig
What a great thought starter today. I play volleyball on a League Friday nights. I have a habit of covering the whole floor and getting in my teammates way because I don’t want to see a ball hit the floor. At the same time that keeps others from reaching their potential. By staying out of their way and letting them get the ball without fear of being run over by a teamate they can grow and develop and the whole team gets better.
Comment*Paul, your comments made me step back and think: where am I doing that? You make a good point that often with good intentions and strong desire we prevent others from bringing their “best ever” effort.
Paul – You have terrific awareness, which is where all change begins. Now, it’s application time. What’s one thing you’ll do to demonstrate your awareness in your next volleyball game (office meeting)? The best is in front of you. Thanks – Craig
There are many real examples of your question in different sports – for example the New York Yankees or the Miami Heat – where a collection of top talent is expected to win. Their downfall is that they are not able to work together. My personal experience is in coaching my son’s basketball teams. When we were able to get the top talent on the team to leverage the strengths of their less talented teammates, they won championships! I have also seen a collection of top talent learn to play well together, and become unbeatable. By the way, in swimming, medley relay teams leverage individual strengths in the different strokes and work together to achieve a combined best time. So the concept works in swimming as well.
Marty – You make a good point: The metaphor breaks down when you add the swimming relay to the mix. (And, having spent one season on the hs swimming team, no one is questioning the supreme effort necessary for excellence in their remarkable sport.)
Clearly you get the point – your example of the Yankees and Heat resonate.
Here’s to the greater differences your generating in your coaching successes! – Craig
I would choose a team of mediocre talent that can leverage each other’s strengths. Usualy mediocre talent individual will put more heart and energy at what he his under taken because he knows it won’t be easy to achieve but will get there. Life is not easy alone even if you are the best in what you do!
“Life is not easy alone” – powerful words, Patrick. Being “alone” in the workplace, on a team, in a marriage, in your neighborhood…knowing there’s greater potential to be realized, is a difficult way to function. Thanks for bringing the “heart and energy” you speak of. – Craig
Patrick, your point reminds me of my favorite soccer team Borussia Moenchengladbach. It had been now for more than 30 years “mediocre”, but with the new trainer Lucien Favre they turned form a C- team to an A team- with almost all the same players like last year. Do you have an example from your favorite sports?
There is nothing more gratifying than working with a mediocre player with the drive to become great achieve that goal. They work hard to get the skills they need and then they continue to work hard to maintaian their skills because they know it’s not a given for them to be great. They are contagious to a team and make a great team even better. This is an awesome thing to witness. That being said, I would take a group of mediocre players with desire over a team of great players that are only interested in their own advancement or what is in it for them any day.
Doug, thanks for bringing the important reminder of the “contagious” element to this conversation. The essense of culture – shared focus, mindset, beliefs and actions – that eat strategy for lunch. It’s either working against us or for us. It sounds like your awareness is ensuring you’re leveraging this powerful force. Thank you! – Craig
Hi All, I would strongly propose you to watch the movie “Moneyball” to see how a mediocre team is becoming great and a winning team by supporting eachothers’ strengths while individual stars shine only for themselves at the expense of team spirit and goal
Hi Hanzade, It’s good to hear from you! My wife Barb has also raved about Moneyball, for the same reason. We will see it today. The power of a team truly working together is amazing… and so much fun! steve
I’m a ‘swimmer’ and find it hard to do the team thing. A Fish on a Volley ball court, is a fish out of water! I like the idea of the post, but I would like leaders to consider the Olympic TEAM made up of indivialists and teams.