Well, if you read the newspapers and watch the news, you might think so. This week’s spectacular defeat is a very public failure but fundamentally the issue is about a team failing to perform at its best.
Why is it that some teams are able to produce collectively more than their individual abilities would suggest and yet some teams filled with talented individuals struggle to meet even their own most pessimistic forecasts?
Much has been written about teams having a shared goal. One would imagine that the England football team do at least have this in common!
We have worked with many teams where the goals were clear and collectively the team were motivated to achieve them but they have still found it difficult to perform at expected levels.
Our view is that in order for teams to perform, more attention needs to be paid to individual performance this may sound odd but actually only if each individual performs at their own
ability level will the team succeed.
It is possible to carry an under performer – but only for a short time – without impacting the team’s success and what can’t be measured is the cost of others compensating for a weaker link. Much depends on whether colleagues feel that the person is in need of their support for a good reason (ill health, family or other pressures) or simply isnt pulling their weight.
So how do you ensure that individuals and teams perform at their best? We believe that there
are three important questions to pay extra attention to.
1. What is the primary concern of the individual? What are they thinking or worrying about?
2. Can they see the path/small steps to achieving? Do they know what to do today to move
forward?
3. Do they need to be reminded of what their best is?
1. What is the primary concern of the individual? What are they thinking about or
worrying about?
Sometimes even the best contributors lose focus on whats most important about what they are doing. A short one to one session focused around progress towards objectives or a mid year appraisal review is often all that is needed to get people back on track. Is the office rumour mill distracting people, are there any myths that can be cleared up easily? In the 2 current climate many people are worried about job security and although it may not always be possible to provide reassurance on this, staying focused delivering on your objectives and achieving results is a positive way of ensuring that others can see the value you bring to the
organisation.
If you think there is something going on outside of work that is affecting performance dont ignore it. Whilst you may not be able help resolve the issue you might be able to provide an independent ear and listening is often all that is needed to help someone maintain perspective.
2. Can they see the path/small steps to achieving results? Do they know what to do today
to move forward?
Even the most motivated people can get stuck when they encounter difficulties, resistance or non co-operation from others. Seemingly small things like IT problems that make ordinary tasks difficult can be very de-motivating. Projects with long lead timescales can get slowed down by other stakeholders.
What is critical is getting the person to re-focus on what they need to do today to move
things forward. Taking action creates a momentum all of its own which is often enough to
get the person unstuck.
3. Do they need to be reminded of what their best is?
Whilst constructive criticism is a good thing generally, everyone needs reminding occasionally what they are doing really well and what their best looks like and feels like. Playing to one’s strengths is often far easier than addressing weaker areas.
In our efforts to correct poor performance we can inadvertently disconnect people from what they are doing well. Even where positive feedback is given it is important to be specific about what has made the difference so that it can be repeated. The positive feeling
that you are making a contribution which is valued by others can be very motivating.
Ask yourself when was the last time you acknowledged someone else, a direct report or a colleague? When was the last time you saw a good news corporate message about individual or collective achievements? These are simple ways of reminding people of what their best is.
So for our unfortunate England football team who held the hopes and expectations of a nation in their hands (or round about their feet!) our advice to the England manager, Fabio Capello or his successor if the Football Association decide to make yet another change, is to enable the players to talk openly about what went wrong and what their concerns are. To be clear about the small steps that each player needs to take to help rebuild the teams national reputation,
the players confidence in each other and their ability to work together as a team.
Lastly and most importantly of all, in the midst of all the criticism and the negative headlines, that they all remember what they are good at, what their best looks like and that they share the aspiration to recreate it again.
