What Business Can Learn From Sports
In honor of Super Bowl LV this upcoming Sunday, we wanted to take a moment to explore and explain the dynamic relationship of teams and what makes teams like the Chiefs and the Buccaneers so successful. Group dynamics and the ability of athletes to function as a unit is just as important as the actual skill and athleticism of individual athletes. Without a strong understanding of the team goals and commitment to those goals, these organizations would not prosper. So while you sit at home, with your football-shaped pizza and team-colored utensils, screaming “DEFENSE” at your T.V., remember that the systems and conduct of the teams on the field are not unlike the ones that are happening at your own place of work.
While an organization's overarching success is largely based on its values, vision, why, and mission (What we at Axiom refer to as the VVWM), it’s simply not enough to just plaster these values on a wall somewhere. They must be there to guide the organizational processes and decision making in all parts of the business. Much like in the NFL, it is not enough for a business owner to just put together a playbook and then let the players play. Rather, effective coaching and successful teams are seen when coaches take the time to communicate what will NOT change even as the playbook is adapted each week to meet the next opponent. What doesn’t change are the Values that govern team behavior, the Vision focused on the season as a whole and beyond, the shared motivations that define the Why, and the shared Mission that defines that particular team’s overarching approach to the game.
These elements are a great tool for uniting a team, but there’s a limit to the progress that can be made from getting everyone on the same page. Research has shown that teams function most effectively under two conditions; the first is when each member has a clearly defined role, and the second is with the development of group norms.
One of the most important aspects of group cooperation is that each member of the group has a clearly defined role, and with this role, specific expectations are attached to it. For example, the role of a quarterback is to be the leader of the offense. They are expected to know the playbook better than anyone and make decisions based not only on the knowledge of their own role but the knowledge of the responsibilities and roles of others. A quarterback must know the blocking assignments of their linemen and the routes of their receivers. They are responsible for the forward progression of play and hold those who are not contributing accountable. If Tom Brady were unaware of his role on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team certainly wouldn’t be playing on Sunday.
However, even if all group members clearly understand, and accept their roles on the team, the second step in the overall success of a group is the development of group norms. Norms can be formally established or informally developed by the group, but the most important norm to set is the standard for productivity. This norm defines the level of effort and performance accepted by the team. Without it, groups run the risk of normalizing low outputs of work or the chance that members will ostracize others who are producing too much. To avoid this, the productivity norm should be set by the highest performer on the team, and it can be used to set standards for other team norms such as punctuality, attendance, and preparedness.
It is the coach’s job to challenge, exhort, encourage and understand the players wrestling to perform to their individual best so that the group norms escalate to higher and higher levels of excellence. The coach fights for the resources, provides the insights and clears the paths that allow the team collectively and the players individually to perform at their best. So, while you are eating pizza and screaming at your T.V on Sunday, remember that you are the coach of your own team, and Monday awaits. Play hard and Go Bucs!