Managing your team to the top
The ongoing World Cup in South Africa offers a fascinating look at how organizations manage themselves in light of ever-changing circumstances and competition. Despite a curious lack of interest by most Americans toward the planet's largest sporting event, the non-U.S. population around the globe is riveted to the 64-game event, with businesses routinely closing for games, and giant TV screens set up in store windows and town squares to enable community viewing.
But even if you're not into soccer (futbol), you still shouldn't miss this opportunity to witness such rapid-fire exhibitions of teamwork, competitive strategy, skills execution, and leadership. Frankly, associations--often plodding, risk-averse, and tentative when they do act--could score some good intelligence from these teams for their own operations.
My husband, Andy, is an executive director of a 501©3, but more importantly, for the moment anyway, he is British and, therefore, a rabid soccer fan. (It was touch-and-go last Saturday when the U.S. played England to a tie, because that game is never "a friendly" at our house.)
During a halftime (hey, I'm not stupid), I noted that much of the Cup commentary could be directed just as easily at specific businesses as to soccer teams. I asked Andy what three parallels--and potential lessons--he most recognized.
1) Of the 32 teams in the World Cup, three to four are obvious contenders for the top prize, 24 or so are very good and could possibly surprise spectators and rise as well, and four or five merit bottom rankings. If your organization is in that 20-odd mass, the questions for the team are, 'What mindset and approach must be adopted, what tactics and strategy must be used at any given moment, what must be perfectly executed, and what pace must we set to leap us from good to great--from also-rans to winners?'
That last query--pacing--is especially critical.
While speed is essential, the competition--whether a month in South Africa or a century in your industry--is long. Substituting players so they can rest, re-analyze, and re-commit can make all the difference in your standings. Burnout or injury can affect any player; if your star-turn starts to lose his temper, do you keep him on the field and risk a red card and suspension or take him off and save him for the next game...if there will be a next game without your top player in action!
2) The handling of superstar performers, especially when they co-exist on one team, is a top challenge of any leader. Not only must managers put the right person in the right spot at the right time (per Jim Collins), they also must carefully mesh "gods" of the field into a team framework that will leverage their strengths (and egos) in ways that inspire and enable optimal performances from the entire group. Watch Argentina and Brazil address this dilemma with panache--and see how perennial underachievers like the Dutch can struggle with this kind of pressure.
3) Outstanding players aside, a team will never even make the competition if it has not been properly prepared, especially mentally. Hard, repetitive work can be boring and sweaty but builds a strong core--top teams embrace that reality. Teams and players that 'make it look easy' have invariably also worked the hardest in training and are the fittest. And this year, happiness is entering the analysts' lexicon for the first time--"The Germans look like they are enjoying themselves out there," as compared to the tight and anxious play of their overawed opponents. A mindset of resilience and fearlessness is essential.
Andy points to Germany--and it surely pains him to do so--as being "the IBM of the soccer world." Somehow doing what it takes to win is in its DNA. The team/company shows up and is ready for the competition despite shaky qualification or pre-tournament games. When the whistle blows, they are focused on winning and on taking that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to raise the trophy as a team. They don't really have any superstars, but they each know their job, and they perform. Nothing fancy. They've analyzed their opponents (data-driven), prepared for everything imaginable, and always do well.
What will it take to be the best in the world? That is the question every player, every team, every manager, and every organization must repeat, play, and repeat again.
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