“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.” John Wooden
A while ago I came across this quote from John Wooden and wrote it down. It struck me as such a simple statement that recognized a simple but important truth: so much of our success or greatness is built with other people. Wooden may have been referring to a sporting context (he is a hall of fame basketball coach, and player, who helped lead UCLA to a record 10 NCAA championships in 12 years), but I think his comment can be applied to any of the teams we find ourselves a part of.
Last month I commented on the importance of leadership in creating a positive workplace environment and culture. The same could be said about team building; good leadership is essential, but there is more to it than that.
Building a strong, healthy team takes a conscious effort by every member. Even groups that have a natural chemistry are still thoughtful or deliberate about the environment they are creating. Many of the themes I have commented on in the past and most of the conversations I have with people about workplace professional development, revolve around the process of building a strong team and the common hurdles that need to be dealt with. Leadership is definitely at the centre of the process, but clear expectations & goals, an underlying respect for others (civility), commonly held values, and a shared vision are key components as well.
The good news is that there are numerous resources available to help with team building, and most of us at one time or another have participated in some kind of team building exercise; admittedly with some experiences not being as positive as others! One author I have come to appreciate and would recommend is Patrick Lencioni of The Table Group. He has written a number of books on leadership and team building, most of which are written in a narrative or story fashion. His book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is popular and helpful. In a very accessible way, Lencioni writes a story of a team that struggles through issues of trust, conflict, and commitment, and he draws on the story to suggest lessons important for us all.
Strong teams have great benefits. It seems obvious to say that they increase productivity. But beyond productivity, being a part of a healthy team encourages and supports a creative approach to work and problem solving, contributes to the overall morale of the workplace and, put rather simply, just makes it enjoyable to go to work each day.
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“The Main Ingredient of Stardom…”
A while ago I came across this quote from John Wooden and wrote it down. It struck me as such a simple statement that recognized a simple but important truth: so much of our success or greatness is built with other people. Wooden may have been referring to a sporting context (he is a hall of fame basketball coach, and player, who helped lead UCLA to a record 10 NCAA championships in 12 years), but I think his comment can be applied to any of the teams we find ourselves a part of.
Last month I commented on the importance of leadership in creating a positive workplace environment and culture. The same could be said about team building; good leadership is essential, but there is more to it than that.
Building a strong, healthy team takes a conscious effort by every member. Even groups that have a natural chemistry are still thoughtful or deliberate about the environment they are creating. Many of the themes I have commented on in the past and most of the conversations I have with people about workplace professional development, revolve around the process of building a strong team and the common hurdles that need to be dealt with. Leadership is definitely at the centre of the process, but clear expectations & goals, an underlying respect for others (civility), commonly held values, and a shared vision are key components as well.
The good news is that there are numerous resources available to help with team building, and most of us at one time or another have participated in some kind of team building exercise; admittedly with some experiences not being as positive as others! One author I have come to appreciate and would recommend is Patrick Lencioni of The Table Group. He has written a number of books on leadership and team building, most of which are written in a narrative or story fashion. His book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is popular and helpful. In a very accessible way, Lencioni writes a story of a team that struggles through issues of trust, conflict, and commitment, and he draws on the story to suggest lessons important for us all.
Strong teams have great benefits. It seems obvious to say that they increase productivity. But beyond productivity, being a part of a healthy team encourages and supports a creative approach to work and problem solving, contributes to the overall morale of the workplace and, put rather simply, just makes it enjoyable to go to work each day.
This entry was posted on Thursday, April 15th, 2010 at 2:31 pm and is filed under Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.