Team Building in Sports

Team Building in Sports “It’s all about the team. Nothing else matters” –Sign above Philadelphia Flyer’ locker room Alan Bass Danny Cohen Zack Cohen

Principles of Team Building Application to Sports Specific sports examples

Purpose
To develop a better understanding of how to build teams.
How to build teams at different levels of a sports organization.
To analyze real-life examples of how teamwork is used to create successful companies.

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." --Andrew Carnegie

What is a team?
“ A group of people working together towards a common goal ” –www.teamtechnology.co.uk
Team building is a process of enabling them to achieve that goal

Stages of Team Building
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing

Forming
Team is faced with the need to become acquainted with its members, its purpose, and its boundaries
Relationships must be formed and trust established
Clarity of direction is needed from team leaders
Task of the team in this stage is less focused on producing an output than on developing the team itself

Norming
Team is faced with creating cohesion and unity, differentiating roles, identifying expectations for members, and enhancing commitment
Main challenge of the team is to create a “sense of team”
The major focus of team members shifts from overcoming uncertainty in the forming stage to developing the norms of a unified group
Teams in the norming stage become cohesive and highly integrated entities

Storming
Playing different roles causes team members to develop different perspectives and to develop ideas that challenge the leadership and direction of the team
Some struggles must occur, some discomfort must be experienced, and some obstacles must be overcome for the team to prosper
Team members do not cease to care about one another, and they remain committed to the team and its success

Performing
Represents highly effective and efficient team functioning
Teams produce the dramatic successes in organizations reported in the best-practice literature only if they reach the performing stage of development
Up to this point, the team has
been trying to manage and
resolve issues that lead to three
key outcomes

Six C’s of Team Building
Clear Expectations
Context
Commitment
Control
Collaboration
Communication

Clear Expectations
Company strategic planning process that defines overall direction and objectives
Process for goal setting, evaluation, feedback and accountability
Has the manager clearly explained what his expectations for the team are?
Do the members of the team understand why the team exists?
Goal: Employees who clearly understand and execute their performance expectations

Context
Does the team understand why they are participating on the team?
Do members understand how the utilized strategy will help attain the business goals?
20% of the problems faced will fall within context of the task the team is assigned
80% of of the problems will relate to their team culture and the processes team members establish
Goal: Team understands where their work fits in the total context of the organization’s mission, goals, principles, vision, and values.

Commitment
Do team members want to participate on the team?
Do members want to be a part of the team or were they forced to be a part of the team?
Is the team mission perceived to be important?
Goal: People to have the desire to work together effectively to accomplish the goal of the team

Control
Does the team have enough freedom to complete their goals?
Do team members clearly understand their boundaries?
How far may members go in pursuit of solutions
Are limitations defined at the beginning?
Goal: Members understand how much control they have, and are given enough to attain the team’s goals

Collaboration
“ You play for the crest on the front, not the name on the back”—Philadelphia Flyers’ organization slogan
Do all team members understand the roles and responsibilities of other team members?
Are team members working together effectively?
Is the team full of leaders, followers, or a healthy balance?
Goal: To establish group norms or rules of conduct so that the team may collaborate towards their ultimate goal

Communication
Is there an established method for the teams to give feedback and receive honest performance feedback?
Does the organization provide important information regularly?
Do team members communicate clearly and honestly with each other?
Are necessary conflicts raised and addressed?
Goal: To establish means of communication within the group so that everyone on the team is “on board” with the team’s progress

T alent
E nthusiasm
A ccountability
M anagement
W ork-able
O penness
R espect
K eenness

The Path to Team Building Success

Employee Involvement
Employees should be involved in decision making, especially those decisions that may affect their jobs
It is NOT a goal or a tool; it is a management philosophy that enables team members to contribute to the ongoing success of the organization

Meeting Management
Ineffective team meetings can decrease employee’s energy and morale, in addition to simply being a waste of time
Meetings should be kept brief, and should only include the information that is of the utmost importance

Team Building Activities or Holidays
Many organizations utilize team holidays so that employees have an opportunity to bond and understand one another
Allows everyone to get to know each other’s strengths and
weaknesses, enabling
the organization to
be run more smoothly

Positive Work Relationships Contribute to Effective Teams
Whether your relationship is with your team, supervisor, manager, customer, or coworker, it should always be positive, supportive, and interpersonal
By having strong relationships with those at work, it can make team-working much easier and more enjoyable to all involved

"It is amazing how much people can get done if they do not worry about who gets the credit." --Sandra Swinney
"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work a company work, a society work, a civilization work."
--Vince Lombardi

Traits of Effective Teams
Effective teams:
Help members be more efficient working together than alone
Function so well that they create their own magnetism
Do not always have the same leader
Have a high level of trust among members
Have members who cheer for and bolster the leader, and vice versa

Michael Useem
The future success of a company begins with the top management team
“ You need to know more about the top management team than you do about any single chief executive…You want to talk about your leadership, but by ‘you’ we mean the plural ‘you’”

Michael Useem (cont’d)
Core leadership qualities
“ Strong moral character. Passion for a point of view. A vision they believed in. They walk their talk under a lot of duress. They have character”

Michael Useem (cont’d)
A template for your personal leadership
“ Leaders consistently talk vision at every occasion…it also has to be translated to the personal implications for everybody...you’ve got to say what you say in a way that it hits people. Say it so it sticks”

How do these principles apply to sports?

Various leaders on sports teams that help with team building:
Owner
Oversees operations of entire organization
General manager
In charge of sports operations (trades, drafting, signing players, hiring and firing coaches)
Assistant GMs
Aids GM in day-to-day operation, including salary cap management, roster moves, and more
Coach
Prepares for games, practices, and utilizes strategies to win
Assistant coaches
Aids coach in his duties
Captain(s)
“ In charge” of players

Barry Hanrahan Assistant General Manager Philadelphia Flyers
Which is a better way to build a team: drafting, free agency, or trades? Why?
The Draft is the best way to build a team in the NHL. Through the process of Player Development these players become assets to your organization at a young age.

When you draft/trade/sign someone, do you look for qualities that are similar or that complement the other players? Why?
Drafting and Trading are different because with the Draft you acquire the rights to 18 and 19-year-olds with long-term plans as they still need to develop and mature into NHL players. When you trade for an NHL Player it is based on an immediate need in your line-up so you do look for player’s that will complement what you have.

How do you evaluate “character” of athletes?
In evaluating character you immediately measure how this person leads his life on and off the ice. Not only how they lead individually, but also how they interact with teammates, friends and those superior to them. Furthermore you talk to those closest to the player, such as parents, coaches, teachers, advisors, etc.

How do you ensure that players you bring in fit the team mold?
The transition is based on the tradition of 43 years of Flyers hockey which every player who arrives here knows what is expected of them. This is done through great team leadership with the current core group of players leading by example .

How do you decide who will be the correct captain for the team?
Those who are chosen to be a Captain of an NHL Team generally have strong character, good work ethic and care for teammates. The selection process is done primarily between the GM and the Head Coach.

What is the “vision” or “statement” or the goal of the Philadelphia Flyers?
We go into every season with the goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

Jenny Sinert Director of Administrative Services Town Sports International
Which is a better way to build a team: hiring in office or out of office? Why?
That depends on the role you are looking to fill and your ability to identify the specific set of skills needed. If you currently have a candidate who you believe has the vision and ability to fill that specific role, the company would certainly benefit from the experience they have and build upon it. If not – bringing outside talent into the mix can be refreshing and educational.

How do you figure out what roles each member of the team will have when bringing someone new into the office?
If they are replacing someone, I would make sure they possess the basic skills to fill the void, and track their growth and progress as they are given more responsibilities. Learning the behaviors of the team members is invaluable in building a successful team. I build on strengths and inspire a positive competitive spirit when bringing a new employee into my team.

How do you ensure that possible employees you bring in fit the team mold?
Personality is a very important factor in building a team. While interviewing people, I like to have them talk about their life experiences, travel, their family and friends, hobbies, school, and I try to assess their demeanor as well as their skill sets. The more we respect and understand each other, the more we can accomplish as a team.

How do you evaluate “character” of coworkers?
Are they motivated, continuously driving the business, leveraging resources, providing operational guidance to achieve business objectives? Are they communicative, open to new ideas, focused on the strategic plan and supportive of others?

What is the “vision” or “statement” or the goal of TSI?
TSI’s mission is “Improving lives through exercise”. TSI’s values include: passion, pride, integrity, respect and dignity, balance, accountability and responsiveness.

Picking the Right Players
“ The [New England] Patriots’ secret is not overpaying for good players who aren’t great, but who collectively fit exactly what the coach wants them to do.” –Sports Illustrated (page 95)

“ [Herb Brooks] was on the phone. He was calling coaches and teachers and family members of all kinds of players, just trying to find out what kind of people those players really were and if they were good citizens. He wanted to know everything about them down to their traffic tickets” –Dave Brooks (page 145)

Player Management
“ I’m not going to treat you players all the same. Giving you the same treatment doesn’t make sense, because you’re all different…You are different from each other in height, weight, background, intelligence, talent, and many other ways. For that reason, each one of you deserves individual treatment that is best for you. I will decide what that treatment will be.” –Coach John Wooden

“ I didn’t think I played all that well, but after we got back, my agent called and said Herb Brooks didn’t want me to sign a pro contract, because he wanted me to come out for the Olympic team. I said, ‘He really said that?’ because I didn’t think I had played very well. My agent said he liked my character, my effort, my attitude, and who I was as a person. His assessment of me didn’t have anything to do with how I played.” –Jack O’ Callahan (page 144)

“ Some players’ lives have been shit, so I need to mix in some whipped cream. Some players’ lives have been whipped cream, so I need to mix in some shit.” –John Wooden

Bibliography
Devellano, J., & Lajoie, R. (2008). The Road to Hockeytown: Jimmy Devellano's Forty Years in the NHL . New York, NY: Wiley.
Gilbert, J. (2008). Herb Brooks: The Inside Story of a Hockey Mastermind . Stillwater: Voyageur Press.
Hanrahan, Barry. (2010). Email Interview.
Heathfield, S. M. Twelve Tips for Team Building: How to Build Successful Work Teams. Human Resources - Business Management Development Jobs Consulting Training Policy Human Resources . http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team_2.htm
Heathfield, S. M. Team Building - How to Build Powerfully Successful Work Teams by Team Building. Human Resources - Business Management Development Jobs Consulting Training Policy Human Resources . http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/team_one_stop.htm
Price, C. (2007). The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Create the Last Great NFL Superpower . New York, NY: Thomas Dunne Books.
Siner, Jenny. (2010). Email interview.
Team work and team building: how to work as a team. Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More . http://www.essortment.com/all/teamworkandt_rhuw.htm
The Basics of Team Building. Leadership, Management, Team and Business resources . http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/tt/t-articl/tb-basic.htm
Useem, M. (2007). Michael Useem on Leadership. The Practice of Leadership .
Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2007). Developing Management Skills .
Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall. (Original work published 1998)

Team Building in Sports

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