Four ways to build a winning team

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Lisa Thal

In our sales meeting, there was a discussion on which team would win this year’s super bowl. Will it be the Atlanta Falcons or the New England Patriots? Being loyal Cincinnati Bengals fans hoping for our first playoff victory, we discussed the lessons learned by those winning organizations and how those principles may apply to the business world.

Three words that Bill Belichick instills in his team are: “Do your job!”  Roughly translated, this means being prepared, working hard, paying attention to the details and putting your team first.

The New England Patriots have appeared in the Super Bowl nine times in franchise history, which is more than any other team.  Seven of those nine appearances were under Bill Belichick’s leadership. There must be something to his consistent, winning approach.

The coach’s “Do your job!” philosophy just may be the difference maker.  The simplicity also translates well for us as business leaders.  When reinforced, this message strengthens trust and leads to greater accomplishments within your organization.

Here are four ways to incorporate this approach into how we, as business leaders, should manage and lead:

  • Know your game plan – What is your vision and game plan for achievement?  For Belichick, he shares his vision to win the next game, and the game plan outlines how they will go about attaining victory.  We must do the same for our team – define the goal and determine the game plan to achieve it.
  • Set the expectations for yourself – Translate the game plan into actionable items that each of you is accountable for executing.  If one player fails to execute their job responsibilities, it may result in a loss for the whole team.  On the other hand, if everyone does their job as defined in the plan, the team may be victorious.
  • Practice the fundamentals – We can develop the skills needed to both live up to and to exceed expectations. The Patriots players practice their game plan all week long in preparation for that week’s game.  Practice gives them the experience and confidence needed to achieve greatness.  Businesses need to prepare their team, in the same way, by providing the right coaching required to win.  How much do you practice the fundamentals process?
  • Focus on team work – Promote team values and establish a strong sense of being in it together.  By infusing this core value, you will build a team-based mindset within your organization much like Bill Belichick has done within the New England Patriots. It is up to us to convey a “Do your job!” mentality within the company and with our clients.  If we do it well, we will win more often.  If we don’t, we will open the door for our competitors to shift the business their way.

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