Growing up, perhaps one of the initial opportunities we have to gain a sense of ‘team’ is often through the sports that we play. For me that wasn’t really the case as the sports to which I was eventually attracted were ones where improvement involved me competing against me … the likes of competitive running and tennis. And yet, today I have had the ability to witness grandchildren participating in football, water polo, basketball and volleyball … all team sports wherein the success … or failure … was very dependent on how well 
the ‘team’ did or didn’t play together. Whereas each player had individual abilities that enabled them to be selected for the tea, so much of the practice and training was devoted to how they applied their respective skills to the coordinated team effort.
Our focus at The Third Zone is primarily within organizations. And whereas we often hear talk of “the great team we have” or “how strong our team is”, what we too often come to realize is that, in fact, organizations have often assembled strong and talented people to make up their teams. As good as that is, what we also witness is that they do little to develop that team to function as a well coordinated and oiled machine. And as such, they are potentially running on fewer cylinders than are available to them.
There are two approaches that organizations generally follow in working with their teams:
Approach # 1 – a team in name
- Hire the best … in terms of knowledge, experience and skill
- Define their responsibilities and expectations of performance success
- Have them participate in appropriate team meetings to represent and provide input from their perspective
- Hope, as the head of the company or the department, that everyone achieves their jobs successfully so that the company hits the intended mark
Approach # 2 – a team in game
- Hire the best … in terms of knowledge, experience and skill
- Define their responsibilities and expectations of performance success
(And now the differences)
√ Make certain that ALL on the team understand and are completely aligned with the overriding vision/goal of the organization
√ Have each team member bring down that vision to their respective area of focus … makingcertain that what they are doing is
clearly on the path leading to achieving the company vision
√ Have team meetings that are focused on a cooperative effort of all … helping all succeed in
their respective goals – if one loses the team loses
√ A constant awareness that reaching the height requires FULL TEAM success
The first approach creates a silo mentality. Yes, the organization has a team and yes, each person is primarily concerned about how well he/she does in their job. However, they leave the overall concern about company success to the person at the top.
The second approach is akin to the sports world’s approach to building a winning effort. All have a constant awareness of their being 
just one cog on a wheel. And they know that in order to drive successfully, they must be fully aligned with all of all others if they are to create a smooth and successful ride. This is a team in ‘game’ and that’s what achieving the greatest win requires.
As you look at your own organization, department or division, what kind of a team are you playing on? Maybe it’s worth exploring.
Your comments ALWAYS welcome!
Mike Dorman
