My New Book "Why Teams Win"

In my new book, Why Team Win*, I examine the 9 keys to creating successful organizations, in both sport and business. Reflecting on the current economic downturn, with falling stock prices and rising unemployment…. and requests for bailouts from some of industry leaders, I thought it might be worth examining the situation using some of the criteria from my book. It’s interesting to imagine GM or Chrysler’s predicament as if they were professional sport teams, where the bottom line is clear and fast, and use that as a model for determining an appropriate management response.


Specifically, what’s your thought about the demise of some of Detroit’s automakers going cap in hand to government for support and doing it initially without an apparent sense of responsibility for their predicament or a detailed plan for change?


Imagine they were a pro sport team, losing game after game and ask yourself if you were ownership would you simply support more of the same? Or would you demand something very different: a change in leadership, some significant changes in talent, and/or a revised game plan.


To expect a different result with the same leadership, talent pool, operating philosophy and procedures is non-sense. You wouldn’t see it in the NHL, NFL, or in Major League Baseball. Losing managers and coaches are held responsible and replaced when their team consistently underperforms. Clearly, Detroit needs a change in management talent, philosophy and practices.


In Why Teams Win I discuss how different styles of leadership produce the best results with different business processes. In manufacturing the flow is top down. Strategy and decisions are made by leadership and flow down to the rank and file. The plan is supreme and the plan comes from leadership. With GM and Chrysler, those in charge have been myopic stewards. They have lacked foresight, repeatedly made poor decisions and paid themselves handsomely in their incompetence.  Much the same can be said for the leaders of autoworkers unions who must take more responsibility for failing to create agreements that support the long term health and viability of their industry.


In my book I explain that the origin of the word “team” comes from the idea of a team of animals (e.g a team of horses or a dog team). As such, it’s graphically clear if one team member is not pulling its weight, then the rest have to work harder to reach their goal. When the major players in an industry lack foresight, are running their own agendas, and are not pulling together or in the same direction, eventually the team will fail.


In sport if an organization is performing poorly, the solution is rarely to throw money at the problem. Instead, it usually involves going back to basics, working harder, smarter, being more accountable and doing the little things that lead to success. In these challenging times that’s good advice across the business spectrum… as are the 9 keys to team success mentioned in Why Teams Win.


(*Why Teams Win: 9 Keys to Success in Business, Sport, and Beyond published by Wiley will be available in May, 2009).

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