The Success of a Team

Teams, we are all members of one or more, are how things get done. The slogan of the U.S. Army of "An Army of One" is so far removed from reality that it is laughable. In combat, in business, and in life, we succeed when our team is successful. In combat you need a team (platoon) around you so that someone can guard your back, in business you need a team because you can not do everything, and in life your team is your family.

One characteristic of every winning team is a coach (sergeant, manager, father) who cares about the team members and who invests in making each successful first as members of the team and then in their individual roles. Sometimes the individual does not fit and needs to find a different team (somewhat difficult when that team member is your teenager) but in most cases every team member who receives the attention they need will succeed. The type of coaching will be different for each individual and that is the challenge for the coach.

If the coach simply tells the team that they need to go onto the playing field and win without providing any guideance is a coach who is not needed and the team will loose unless a member of team steps up and takes responsiblity for coaching the team.

It is also true that teams succeed more often when they work as a team than when you have a team of individuals, even if each individual is the best in their field. If they don't work together toward that common goal they will fail more often than not.

Thus the coach/leader must do their job of coaching and leading their team and if they don't then they need to be coached or replaced. I always recommend that coaching come before replacement because it is very likely that the individual can be turned if the coach invests in them (this is sadly not always the case).