Teamwork - The Path to Victory

By Ken Westray, PE, NPDP

As a former high school soccer player on a state finalist team, I still follow the sport and recently saw a story that was as much a business parable as it was a sports story. Two teams, one from Liverpool, England, and the other from Milan, Italy, faced external adversity to qualify for the prestigious UFEA European Cup. Unless they won the Cup, the English team faced demotion to a lower division due to poor regular season performance. Their team play (execution) was sub par, where the individual limelight was more important. The Italian team played through the distraction of a national game-fixing scandal. Their senior management had lost sight of their values and dishonored themselves and the trust of a nation.

A team-focused effort by the Italian side overcame the star approach of the English team and therein lies the story. Victory on the athletic field or in the annual report is all about teamwork. Good teams answer three questions essential to success.

Do they have a common purpose?

It must be clear and create focus that directs a team's efforts. Consider a company that seeks to increase sales or profitability by x% as a result of new product sales. Every team member can express it in his/her own way but there is clarity and commonality about their purpose. Liverpool team members were about a better individual contract while Milan was about team and national pride.

Do they have measurable goals and objectives?

It starts with recent performance analysis, figuring out whether to tweak the current product line or add brand new elements to it. This process then moves forward with specific activities and timelines. Best practice for teams is for individual goals to be rooted in the team's goals. When individual goals are before team you will lose the advantage of a team.

Finally, do they hold one another accountable?

While individual stars, like the English team's David Beckham, are exciting to watch, their appeal diminishes when they don't win. My experience has been that a team of committed engaged people will consistently outperform individualistic stars. And frankly, winning is much more fun.

Isn't it time for you to win in the new product arena?