The boss - creating a winning team
by John Buchanan
As an individual achiever, one who the boss turns to for results, why should I become part of a team? I am the best player on the team, so why reduce my impact on the game to satisfy this notion of team?
These are questions that Michael Jordan faced when Phil Jackson began coaching the Chicago bulls in the 90’s. Jackson wanted Jordan to include other players in his play making for the benefit of the bulls, and ultimately for Michael Jordan’s benefit.
Phil Jackson discusses this process of moving a high achiever like Jordan to, “we” over “I”, in his book, ‘sacred hoops – secrets of a hardwood warrior’.
It is a concept that is very much a part of my coaching philosophy. Within the Australian cricket team, we have, and have had, some high achievers in our sport such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrest, Matthew Hayden to name but a few.
Each of these players is highly talented. They are highly motivated to perform. Almost without fail when they walk onto a cricket field, they create some new statistic, record or write a new page of history in the game.
What may not be understood about cricket is that, at any one time, there are eleven individuals wanting to deliver their peculiar brand of skill for a final result – a team win.
Consequently, one of the primary roles of the coach is to combine this group of very skilled individuals into a powerful, and if possible invincible, unit. Like Michael Jordan, Sir Donald Bradman was a ‘god’ to his peers. And similarly, irrespective of his supreme performances, he was unable to ensure his cricket team won by himself.
I believe in the power of ‘team’. I see the ‘team’ as a family, all of whom have a need to express their individuality, while at the same time respecting all other members around them.
In order to build and maintain this ‘family’ approach, a coach or CEO or manager or team leader can only do so if such an approach is a central tenant of their coaching philosophy. In this way, key team values such as honesty, accountability, hard work ethic, innovation; organisational culture drivers like traditions, celebrations, leaders within the group; communication systems such as formal and informal feedback, meetings, performance appraisals – all will contribute to enhancing the unity of purpose and direction of the group.
Should individuals choose not to accept, or accept conditionally that the team is greater than the individual, then that individual is answerable for their actions to the ‘code’ of the group. Within the Australian cricket team, there is a ‘spirit of cricket’ code to which all members have agreed recently.
I am certainly not advocating every workplace should adopt similar practices, engineered by a ‘coach’ who must possess a similar team philosophy, over championing individual achievement only. I am suggesting though, that should an organisation believe teamwork will enhance organisational outcomes, then it must employ a coach, a leader whose philosophy is family or team based.
Having now watched India throughout the test series and the past two one day internationals, it has become obvious that they have made much larger strides in this area of team management than I believe we have given them credit.
Such changes in a culture or ethos within a team can be pretty exciting times but also quite confusing for individuals and at worst potentially divisive. Well it seems from an outsider looking in, there is a real excitement about what has been begun over these last couple of series. If India wish to continue the progress they have made in this area, it is critical that they retain the main architects of such reform and not seek to move too quickly before the foundations are properly set.
John Buchanan is the former coach of the Australian Cricket Team. He is in demand as a speaker, corporate coach and sports coach. John Buchanan is available to share his philosophy for success expanding the benefits well beyond the cricket team and into any area. www.buchanancoaching.com