Planning for successful teams
Issue: Volume 27 Number 2
In this Olympic year, issues of team cohesion and effective teamwork are paramount to the success of any Olympic team. This has been further reinforced within Australia by some of the issues presently being confronted by teams within our own domestic competitions with the Australian rules football team Richmond being a prime example. Why do some teams have so many problems and others seem to have only a few? Clearly, part of the problem centres around the success of the team — a successful team always seems to have far fewer problems, whereas teams in turmoil are prominent by their lack of success.
So what are some of the planning issues that coaches and players can incorporate to maximise the chance of their team experiencing success and remaining cohesive. The following tips are inspired by some research into the management–business–corporate area — an area that seems ripe with fabulous examples which sportspeople are well advised to consider, if only because business ‘steals’ many ideas from sport in order to increase their own success!
1) Avoid predictable problems — teams of all types (both new and old), encounter a range of problems, which are both predictable and preventable. Strategies include:
- organise disciplined team meetings — team members must be punctual, organised, prepared, on task, willing to contribute and focused on the agenda of that team without being distracted by other side issues. Team members need expectations to be clarified
- facilitate controlled and inclusive discussions — ensure that all team members have the opportunity to contribute to team meetings and that a few powerful (or loud) individuals do not sabotage or take over the meetings.
2) Assist new team members in their transition — new team members need help in adjusting to the culture and expectations of teams on many levels. Plan to help them make these adjustments no matter what their previous experiences and do not just expect them to understand without providing specific help. This can be done by clarifying team rules, norms and values explicitly, while debriefing members after meetings and games. Many teams do this by providing specific extra assistance for new team members on arrival.
3) Provide opportunities for insight — meetings and team gatherings are great opportunities for team members to learn about the value of the team, to learn about each other and what the team can offer. Look for opportunities to challenge the team as a team, to test their ability to work together on different tasks, to develop collaboration skills. At times, team members in sport seem somewhat reluctant to approach non-sport activities with the same commitment that they do to their sport. While this is not surprising, it is imperative that the team sees non-sport tasks as the chance to further develop their teamwork skills to a level which will enhance them in the sporting situation. The coach may need to ‘sell’ the idea and the sporting parallels to their charges.
4) Encourage creativity and inventiveness — many successful and great coaches over the ‘long distance’ are successful because of their willingness to try new ideas, to challenge their team in new ways, to look for new team members to join their team, to use new approaches even when successful and even when the old ideas have worked in the past. Creativeness can also be developed by looking for new ideas in new areas — by looking at how other disciplines foster the same ideals of success, accountability and team closeness. Sometimes these coaches are also known for their unpredictability and quirkiness — characteristics that on the surface might be counterproductive but seem to foster team advancement.
5) Value differences and do not be trapped by compromising. Many decisions in groups are decided by methods of compromising that inevitably must lead to some members being disappointed. This is done because compromising is an expedient way to make some progress. However, compromises may lead to decisions that do not ensure 100 per cent commitment, which might lead to problems in implementing the decision. If compromises do happen, make sure that all team members are asked about the decision and whether they might feel short-changed. Check that the decision is fully implemented and try to work to a full consensus. Furthermore, progress can sometimes be implemented by acknowledging differences and disagreements. Differences ensure that creative and unusual ideas are addressed. Teams actually thrive on ideas and on the interchange of differences.
6) Trust each other — trust is essential for teams to work effectively together. Trust can be developed in a number of ways including:
- act on what is committed to — deliver on promises without hesitation
- show an interest in others — work on creating positive relationships and relating between individuals
- make balanced and thoughtful decisions — be flexible and creative in your decisions while being in tune with the climate of the team
- address trust — make it a priority in the team to manage and foster it
- resolve conflict — ensure conflict is quickly and effectively addressed
- celebrate trust — recognise and reward trust — celebrate it.
7) Reward team members — recognise the individual contributions made by all team members in any aspect of the team. One way this has been done is to invite team members to write positive descriptions about every team member in the group — what might be called an ‘appreciation list.’ Each team member eventually receives a list written by all other team members, which describes their positive contributions. Public recognition of all team members, acknowledging effort (thank you notes) and providing additional responsibility further enhance team trust, confidence and cohesion.
8) Confront complacency — teams that are not developing positively might be showing complacency — a sign of real concern. This concern can be addressed by asking all members to regularly reflect on the team’s progress, by revisiting and reinforcing team goals and missions, and by looking for chances to acknowledge real progress and improvement on any level.
9) Lead without dominating — teams that are lead by ‘autocrats’ rely on that single person for all progress and effectively stifle member contribution. Effective leaders need to delegate power and responsibility, need to develop the team culture across all the team (teach team skills, model productive team behaviour) and need to lead by not ordering (suggest, steer, summarise).
10) Do not give up. Ask for help — never give up even when the goal or future looks bleak. Re-emphasise goals and re-evaluate the plan to achieve these goals (and reassess resources). Reassessing resources and seeking help (sometimes beyond the team itself) should not be seen as a sign of weakness. Sometimes looking for inspiration in other areas might just be the creative force to realign the team to success. (Other activities such as simulations, seeking experts, and encouraging honesty about not knowing all the solutions provide this type of realignment.) Finally, it might be valuable to brainstorm novel approaches across the whole team. Learn from all setbacks and from any failures. Remember failures are really just opportunities to move forward to success dressed in different clothes! It takes great courage to face challenges, to persevere when things seem tough, to deal with the setbacks that business, sport and life can throw our way. Do you have the courage to deal with things?
Coaches and players are encouraged to consider these ideas as they aim to re-establish the focus of their team. While these tips have been intentionally written in more general language, it is hoped that coaches may find the transfer of ideas quite easy to all sections of the sporting setting.
Further reading
Maginn, M. 2004 Making Teams Work: 24 lessons for working together successfully, McGraw-Hill Professional Education, Sydney.
