Teamwork

Take a minute to think about your favorite team sport. If you don’t have a favorite, as a Canadian I would suggest ice hockey, but the specific sport doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we think about what distinguishes the best teams from mediocre teams. Do the best teams have the most skilled players? Do they have the best equipment and facilities? What really makes a great team great?

Sure, having skilled players is important; but putting together a great team takes more than what any individual player brings to the table. Consider these quotes from respected sports figures:

“Talent wins  games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan 

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” – Vince Lombardi

“I think that from the time you start playing sports as a child you see that your responsibility to your team is to play the best that you can play as an individual… and yet, not take anything away from being part of a team.” – Wayne Gretzky

“No cricket team in the world depends on one or two players. The team always plays to win.” – Virat Kohli

Successful teams work together to achieve common goals. This statement is just as applicable in business as it is in sport. Every member of a team has a position to play. If team members don’t play as a team, or if team members decide to play someone else’s position as well as his own, the success of the team degrades; and the team will be outmaneuvered by the competition.

Tension or conflict between the broader team’s goals and the goals of individual team members is often common. When these conflicts occur, the most effective teams put the team’s success first. To do so, all team members need to understand the team’s objectives and how these objectives may differ from their own personal objectives. That way, they can understand where there might be misalignments and how they may need to adjust. 

In business, setting goals in functional siloes and then hoping that everything will work itself out is usually not successful. Business leaders can’t simply put their heads down and focus on only on their own departments. They must work with cross-functional counterparts to synchronize plans. Doing so ensures that what they are doing as a team will enable business objectives to be achieved. It is often the difference between success and failure. But it does not happen without coordination. That coordination comes through collaboration and trust.

Just like players on a sports team, functional leaders must trust each other to share their plans for achieving both their personal goals and the business’ goals. They must also trust that the plans being shared are what will be executed. Leaders must have confidence that their peers will say what they do and do what they say. These plans should be shared and reconciled with each other to ensure that the plans are compatible, and when executed, will deliver the company objectives.

Why do many companies struggle with sharing and aligning functional plans? Here’s one reason: When plans are shared, leaders will sometimes be forced to face reality. They will have to make tough choices that sacrifice personal or functional goals in support of the broader business health. These are uncomfortable choices.

Using the team sport analogy, in ice hockey, players have a decision to make when the puck is passed to them. One choice is to take the puck down the ice and attempt to score a goal on their own. Another choice is to pass the puck to another player who is in a better position or can make a coordinated play. Faced with this decision many times, how are players who always go it alone regarded by their teammates? Do the other players respect them? Will others pass the puck to them? How does this selfishness impact the team’s win-loss record?