Teamwork: When the Whole Outshines the Star

In a sports team (or in an organization), we often cheer for the standout player, the one who shines brightest on their own. We crown them as stars and put them on a pedestal. But what about the team? Even when some players are acing it, if the team isn’t scoring together, you may not score big. That’s what I call the 'team discount' – when teamwork is in the bargain bin, despite some shiny individual plays. Does this a ring a bell in an organizational setting too? A few shine, but the whole team does not pull its weight or live up to its potential?

Now imagine a team that clicks – where everyone’s game is up, everyone is in sync, and the magic happens. That’s the 'team premium'. It’s when teamwork isn’t just a buzzword; it’s where the group’s ‘groove’ outshines the solo artists.

The debate on the question if an All-Star team is better than a Team of All-Stars shas been popular for a while. The All-Star team is like a band where every member knows the tune and the harmony is spot-on. It’s not just about having a squad of solo artists; it’s about how they jam together to top the charts. But then there’s the Team of All-Stars. Think of it as a gallery of soloists, each a master of their craft. The trouble? They might not play the same tune. When everyone’s a solo act, the music can turn into a ‘cacophony’ of competing melodies.

Peek into the playbook of the greatest sports teams, and you'll spot two MVPs: collaboration and competitiveness. The real measure? A combination of both: How well they work as one coherent team internally while outplaying the competition externally.

Something similar must be looked at for business teams.

Imagine this: we have a leaderboard for business teams, each scored on a scale for how well they blend their talents and how fiercely they compete. In other words, how well do they collaborate to optimize their talents and how hungry they are to win against external competition.

One chairman of a private equity firm used this as a game-changer to see which to evaluate how well his portfolio companies are doing.

Here is the framework he used (reproduced with permission):

?Adopting a framework like this is like doing a health check-up….it could help determine what is humming nicely and what might need a tune up.

We don’t all need to be running PE firms to use this framework. I often get the team members to do the evaluation themselves as to where they are in the four blocker. This helps them to:

• Get Real: The team members get a chance to look in the mirror. They understand everyone’s role in the team ‘vibe’.
• Clear Picture: They’ll see if the team’s is all about the win, or taking it easy, or maybe stepping on each other’s toes, or just stuck in a rut.
• Make Smarter Moves: They will learn to make decisions that fit their team’s needs.
• Tailored Team Building: There is no more guesswork on how to get the team working like a well-oiled machine. The team or the members, instead, focus on what they need most.
• Boost Performance: When a team knows where it stands, it can start moving in the right direction, together.

This framework can serve as a foundation for building a high-performing team, or an All-Star team, where members are engaged, motivated, and aligned with the organization's objectives. It also allows for the continuous monitoring of team culture and the implementation of necessary adjustments to maintain a competitive edge.

So, ready to rally your team to the top? Let's make every player and play count!

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