I'm back home for two days before heading to San Diego and my next "New U" entrepreneurship boot-camp. I just finished the latest issue of Fast Company magazine and as usual, there was an article that got me thinking. This time it wasn't a fawning write-up about some existing organization that "breaks the rules." This one got me thinking about sports. Well, not sports per se, but teams. The premise of this article was that you can go out and get the smartest, most talented and most decorated individuals your budget will allow. But, that in and of itself does not guarantee winning. The anecdote given was that of the US 4 x 100 meter relay team. In the last Olympics, they dropped the baton trying to qualify. "Dropping the baton" was used as a metaphor for having world class people on the team, but they failed to do the one thing absolutely necessary to stay in the race and win. They didn't work together. They dropped the baton.
Sound familiar?
The aforementioned article cited a study where researchers found teams were better at specializing than coordinating. I can't tell you how many conversations I have had with people who complain, "He wasn't a team player." The next question from me is, "Ok, so what is your concept of team player?"
For me, I build teams made up of people who are different from me, are given wide latitude to make decisions, encouraged to focus on process and when they have a question, they will feel comfortable asking. If you've worked on one of my teams you'll here me say early, "I'd rather you ask a million questions, than not ask any." Or, "Let's keep the small stuff, small." Or even better, "I don't know. But, I'll find out."
This way we don't drop the baton....
Chantal de la Rionda edits this blog
