Business Success Articles, Business Success Strategies, Leadership Development

Skip Weisman's 9 Keys to Developing & Leading a Championship Team

Originally published in the Hudson Valley Business Journal - February 5, 2007)

With the summit of the National Football League supremacy just sixty minutes of football away for the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, it's the perfect time for businesses to assess their team(s) against the key components of creating a true "Championship Team". Unfortunately for this week's Super Bowl combatants, only one will be "Super Bowl Champion" and reap the accolades and rewards that come with that title. For the team that falls short, the sting of losing the "big game" will forever be with them. Business leaders have it much easier as businesses can be looked upon as being successful by consistently providing value to their customers and employees, and are not judged as successful only if they win the "big game."

To win the Super Bowl it takes even more than the nine keys below but when it comes to running a successful business focusing on my "9 Keys to Developing & Leading a Championship Team" will make a difference in your business today.

Skip Weisman's 9 Keys to Developing & Leading Your Own Championship Team

1) Develop Strong Leadership at the Top
Championship teams start with strong leadership in the front office and coaching staff. This creates a solid foundation throughout the organization. Without strong leadership at the top, leaders will not be developed, nor will they emerge, in a way that allows the organization to thrive. The leadership must be well versed in applying and training others in the "3 D's of Leadership - Decision-Making, Delegation & Diplomacy." Additionally, leaders must lead by example as actions speak louder than words. This means leaders must be masters of "Self-Leadership" and model the behaviors and core values they expect their team members to espouse.

2) Lead with the Platinum Rule
The most successful coaches find special ways to motivate their individual team members because they know different people are motivated by different things. Business leaders can also follow this strategy by applying the Platinum Rule, which states "treat others as they would want to be treated." This rule supercedes the "Golden Rule" which states, "treat others as you would want to be treated." Too many leaders think they are doing the right thing by applying the "Golden Rule" and can't understand why their people are not responding. Get to know your team members and what is most important to them. Help them meet their own individual personal and professional goals and everyone wins.

3) Create a Compelling Vision & Purpose
The one thing all championship teams have in common is the compelling vision of becoming a champion. All team members are focused on that end result; it is their raison d'être. The team leadership wants a championship to provide maximum entertainment value to its fans. The individual team members want to become champions to get the "ring" signifying they were the best. The team and the players' goals are aligned, as should be your company's goals and goals of your employees.

4) Hire and/or Inspire the Right Team Members
Championship teams recruit team members that aspire to be the best and are willing to fill a role within a winning team. Team members without the right attitude rarely become champions. For your business, this means more than checking a resume for just experience and skills. In my 20 years in business I never once fired an employee due to incompetence, or poor decision-making; it was always due to a poor attitude. Spend as much time evaluating employees for personality and attitude as you do for job skills. It is significantly less of an investment to train for new job skills than to change attitudes, beliefs and values.

5) Set a Standard of High Expectations
Teams with a chance to get to the championship set high expectations for their team members. Team members that fit with the culture of the organization appreciate the fact that they, and their team members, are held to a high standard and participate in holding each other to the standard. Leaders must remember to hold themselves to the same high standards and model the behavior they expect from their team members. When this is consistent most team members will surprisingly meet or exceed the standard you set for them.

6) Create a Culture of Accountability
In order to become a champion each team member must be held accountable for the results they achieve within their role. In professional sports athletes that do not get the necessary results will be replaced. In business, although it's important for individuals to work as a team, the majority of their role is going to be fulfilled as an individual. Teams in which all individuals superbly take care of their own role provide the impression the team functions flawlessly as a unit, because it does. Great teams are made of individuals who believe the best way for them to be team players is to hold themselves accountable for their individual role and look for ways to support the team effort when necessary.

7) Create a System of Feedback
Leaders of championship teams consistently evaluate the performance of team members throughout their season and provide feedback to improve individual and team performance. Full evaluations are made following each season to raise the bar for the next season. Businesses should model this behavior by creating a system of both formal and informal feedback throughout the year to evaluate individual and team performance. Performance appraisals should be done for all team members on an annual basis at the same time each year. When everyone is focused on the same schedule, individual and team improvement plans work together for breakthrough results. Additionally, here is one thing businesses should do that sports teams do not; get regular feedback from the team. Employees should have a forum, both formally through surveys and informally through suggestion boxes and the like. It will enhance the team members' sense of empowerment, self-worth and value to the company, while improving motivation and attitudes.

8) Reinforce Teamwork Related Actions
For individuals to consistently buy-in to and participate in the team concept, there must be incentives. Members of sports teams see the wins and losses daily and know the incentives awaiting them; more playing time, opportunities to perform when the game is on the line and ultimately, a big contract. A business culture must provide incentives that reinforce the compelling Vision & Purpose everyone is working towards and enhance motivation for team members share time and other resources. Some ways to do this include profit sharing bonuses at year-end, successful project bonuses, and other types of awards and recognition - think both monetary and non-monetary.

9) Create Opportunities to Celebrate & Enjoy the Journey
Championship teams also have regular opportunities to celebrate every time they win a game during their season, so they can enjoy the journey. Businesses should look for ways to celebrate the little wins along the way to maintain enthusiasm among team members. These nine keys are certainly not inclusive of all the other metaphorical ways you can use athletics to lead your business more effectively. After twenty years of leading the front office professional baseball teams I've found these nine have worked well for me.