bcg blog

We > Me

I think Daniel Coyle said it as well as it could be said in his book The Culture Code. His introduction is titled, “When two plus two equals ten”. This is exactly what happens on great teams. The performance of the team defies logic. We are trained to look at the pieces, add them up, and it should equate to the sum of the parts. But, for teams, that is rarely the case.

On some teams, two plus two might equal ten. On other teams, ten plus ten might equal two. And, sure, sometimes two plus two will equal four. The point is, there is something else at play that significantly impacts the performance of your team beyond the talent the team possesses.

Why Should We Care?
Every leader wants their team to overachieve, perform at a level beyond what their talent should dictate. As leaders, our ability to consistently draw this from our teams is the essence of coaching. It should be the gauge used for awards such as coach or manager of the year. However, like most everything else in society, those are more often given to the team that wins the most or the branch with the highest earnings - with no regard to the team’s performance relative to their potential.

There are a few things teams that consistently outperform their talent always seem to have:

• Humble Stars - the best, most talented, team members are not seeking praise or recognition. They embrace their role as the best player while maintaining humility within that role. Of course they work hard and are good teammates, that goes without saying, but they also deflect praise to teammates while taking on more than their share of the blame for mistakes. They get that it’s not about them, even when those outside the team try to make it about them.
  
• All In Role Players - everyone has a role and every role is important. Even the star player has a role - one that may seem appealing until you realize the responsibility that goes with it. But, each role is critical to the performance of the team. On teams that outperform their talent, each team member genuinely feels a responsibility to the rest of the group to bring their best to the team each day. 
  
• Focus on Us - on these teams, I matter … but we matter more. A shared mission is powerful. And, on these teams, everyone is invested in the group ahead of themselves. It’s viewed from outside the team as sacrifice, as losing part of yourself for the team. From within the team, it’s the complete opposite. By choosing the team over yourself you are now enhancing, expanding your impact on the group. You are finding the groove that allows you to give the absolute most to something bigger than yourself.
  

REAL TALK - Action Steps
This is really the essence of coaching. How to get the most out of your team. Sometimes things work out that way for us and sometimes we fail in our attempt to get the best out of them. Nonetheless, this is the goal for all leaders. Here are a few things that I think enhance your chances of tapping into that unseen potential.

• Vulnerability 
  
  • Make being vulnerable the norm. It starts with the leader. Ask for critical feedback, then listen to it. Open up about your personal life and what is good or bad, what you’re dealing with. Make yourself available to listen to team members. Admit mistakes, apologize when it is (and isn’t) your fault. Nothing on a team is more important than the willingness of team members to be vulnerable around each other. I have never seen a team maximize their potential that did have abnormal comfort with vulnerability throughout the team.
    

• Trust
  
  • Trust flows from vulnerability. When we see team members taking down their armor and opening up, trust usually follows and we begin to reciprocate the vulnerability that’s been afforded to us … and so trust grows. The foundation for all teams is trust. There are on exceptions. The entire purpose of vulnerability is to build trust. It’s not something that just happens. We must intentionally create an environment in which trust can flourish. Teams that overachieve emanate trust.
    

• Repeat Consistently
  
  • It’s never over, never complete. As leaders, we can not tire of the process or ever begin to feel that our team has made it. Consistency is critical.
    

It’s not for everyone. There are a lot of reasons there aren’t a lot of great teams out there. This is one of them. Being on a team that overachieves is tough … and you can’t be tough alone.

For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. 
We would love to know how we could help!

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