It's YOUR job.

 

 

I have seen and read a number of opinions regarding team building.

Some remind us that “…there is no I in TEAM…”

Others insist that “…success is a team sport…”

Another popular opinion is that it’s better to have a person who is self-sacrificing and committed rather than one who is an A type personality.

To all of the above I have but one comment ‘…nonsense…’

What leader would hire a committed, self-sacrificing person of mediocre abilities?

What leader seeks individuals who do not want to perform their best, even if that means others cannot measure up to their level?

Why would anyone expect to participate with only marginal contributions to the overall success and not be judged poorly?

Team building is less about the individuals on the team and much more about the ability of the leader to do their job…to LEAD.

I fully acknowledge that it is difficult to find a group of all-stars.  Furthermore, even amongst that group, some will perform better than others.  But the role of the leader is to establish an environment in which each participant is able to maximize their potential.  Once you establish that someone can be on the team while falling short of their potential, a new and lower level of acceptable performance has been set.

If an Olympic team can improve by getting superior performers, the coach would be derelict in their duties if they did not seek out that better person.

Likewise, an F1 team needs the best drivers and mechanics it can find in order to win.  If the performance of any individual makes that success less likely, they should be replaced.

Yes I want commitment; yes I want team members to support their co-workers; yes I understand that ‘their best’ means different levels of accomplishment amongst the team members.

But let’s be honest.  You can find top performers who hold these qualities or you can develop them in individuals, if you lead competently.  It falls to you as the leader to knit together the skills and competencies of each individual on your team. The lack of cohesion in an elite group has much more to do with your leadership than it does with the team member’s qualities.

There are no participation medals in the workplace.

But there is an ‘I’ in failure. 

Don’t pedal these worn out phrases that excuse under performance.  Expect the best of all qualities from every team member and hold yourself accountable to creating the environment for that to happen.