Know Your Role - Team Success

You are part of a team. Whether it's at work, being part of a family, a group of friends, or an over-50 rec basketball league, you are a cog in the wheel. Teams can be great, or they can be a disaster. Those that fail are often rife with problems: poor leadership, lack of purpose, and/or misfit team members. Those that succeed are often quite the opposite: great leadership, a shared purpose, and have the right people in the right roles. Today, I'm going to focus on these components of good teams. Of course, continuing the theme of your World Champion Milwaukee Bucks, I will focus on the role players of this team and how their contributions took the team as a whole over the top.

Don't ever - and I mean EVER - try doing a group high-five at work. You will be justifiably fired immediately.

Are You An Island?

"No man is an island", according to English poet John Donne. One of my favorite phrases for two reasons. First, it's funny in the literal sense. Of course there is not an island that is just a man (or woman)... even though there is a Man Island. Second, it's incredibly true in many facets of life! We live in a global world, even moreso than when Mr. Donne wrote this in the 16th century. Think about your daily life - how many people directly or indirectly contribute? The food you eat, the phone you use, the water you drink, the blog you read: hundreds of people are working behind the scenes to provide these for you. With that, the concept of being "self-made" is a bit of an exaggeration. Even the most entrepreneurial individuals still need support to build their businesses. At home, you have parents or guardians that help you grow and develop, and may have a significant other who supports you in your journey. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have received either a tangible boost or even just some wisdom and guidance that made an impact on our lives. There's certainly a spectrum of help. Becoming the CEO of the company your father started is quite the assist, whereas being encouraged to contribute to a 401(k) early in your career by a manager is a gentle push in the right direction. Regardless, our individual successes are really (in part) team successes.

When it comes to the Bucks, Giannis didn't do it alone. Sure, he was the star, but there are four other players with him on the court at any given time plus ten others on the bench. He has a coaching staff, trainers, security, stadium employees, fans, marketing and sales staff, catering companies, and so many others that play a role in his success.

Know Your Role

When it comes to a team - at work, a group of friends, or your family - you have to know your role. Not everyone can be the boss, you won't always get your way, and you need to have clear expectations for yourself and others around you. In a family, the dynamics may vary based on family members, but typically adults fill the leadership role. This brings its own challenges. You rarely see two bosses in a workplace for a reason - there's bound to be conflicts! In a marriage, however, you are both bosses and partners. One spouse may want to take one approach, and the other may have a completely different one. The old saying "opposites attract" comes into play here, but it can be used to your advantage as a team. Different people bring unique skill sets and ideas, and often can help fill in your weaknesses. The same is true in the workplace or any other team - those around you will likely bring something to the table you cannot. It can be hard to accept this - or even engage with someone who sees the world so differently from you. But as I wrote about in my blog about diversity, having a mix of thoughts and mindsets is so valuable. The key is, despite all your differences, you ensure there are common goals. Whether it's to grow net income by 20% next fiscal year or drive your family to the Grand Canyon without incident, everyone has to know what you're trying to accomplish, how you plan on doing so, and know their role in making that happen.

For the Bucks, role players became the difference between a perennial playoff team and a champion. Let's start with the now-departed P.J. Tucker. Needing a hard-nosed defender and leader, P.J. was brought to the Bucks at last season's trade deadline. As a veteran player, he wasted no time finding his role and committing to the team. He defended the top players throughout the playoffs, sacrificing his personal statistics for the team win. Bobby Portis became a fan favorite for good reason - energy! When he joined the team this season, he frequently came off the bench and brought passion to the court. His defense improved, and he could be counted on to contribute on both ends of the floor. When Giannis when down in the Eastern Conference Finals with a knee injury, Bobby stepped into the starting lineup and dropped a season-high 22 points and 8 rebounds in a critical Bucks win. Like Bobby, Pat Connaughton came off the bench and brought clutch 3-point shooting and rebounding. Despite being a smaller player, Pat is never afraid to mix it up with bigger players, contesting shots with zest and crashing the boards without regard for his health. His timely shooting was indispensable down the stretch, with Coach Budenholzer often keeping him in games late for the extra spark. Others like Brook Lopez, Donte Divincenzo, and Bryn Forbes all contributed along the way to the Bucks eventual championship.

In any facet of life, you are part of a team effort. To find success, not only do you need to recognize how others can have an impact, you also have to adapt and adjust accordingly. Understanding how to do this requires understanding yourself - something we will cover next week as part of the continuing series on success. Until then, have a great week!