Team building: Lessons from sport

If you are anything like me, you not only believe, but see evidence of the parallels of sport and success in business, for or not for profit.

I find the similarities striking, especially in how successful teams are built. These are the main linkages I see:

1. Integration - Based on the current men's football world cup, we see some of the more successful teams (at this stage), appearing to be master integrators of individual prowess into a whole that is way bigger than the sum of all parts. It speaks to each player having a crystal-clear sense of what one does and also what one does not do. Also, this applies in every situation; do we have the ball or do we not have the ball? Are sales declining or are sales growing? There is also a deep understanding by the leader of the team that while the characteristics of each member of the team does not change if they change teams, their relevance to the team can change, based on the relationship of each member to the other members. This is a reference to the player's professional football club vs the national team. Bringing together a team is a real skill, especially across boundaries of style and substance. It requires a need to take the understanding of the team at a deep level and unite the team using a driving force that speaks to all. Does the team see the goal the same way? Is there motivation and is it written down? Is there a way that we can help each other achieve personal objectives by working towards the group goal? For me, this is integration; it means getting each to come together to produce something that only this group can win but only by developing the complementarity of each member.

2. Growth - The project has to represent growth to all; it may represent growth for one or a few members and not for the rest. This may represent failure. Growth may mean different things to different people at different stages of life and career. How does each member feel about the project and how it is helping them deliver on some goal? This feeling would need to be tied back to the common goal but we cannot assume all feel the same way.

3. Communication - Sounds cliche but there may a 'star' on the team that is not a star in every situation. There may be more talkative ones and ones who prefer silence. One may interpret conflict in one way and the other, another way. The better managers appear to be consistent communicators and have a clearly communicated plan on what to do when 'x' happens and what to do when 'y' happens.

4. Fun - It appears those that are succeeding are truly enjoying smashing the ceiling that is there, regardless of who put it there. How do we transfer enjoyment to what we do or how do we birth that emotion?

Let me know what you think.