How Can I Optimize the Talent of My Team?

Our teenage daughter plays on a nationally ranked high school basketball team. As you can imagine, I’ve had ample opportunities to observe the team and figure out that the players are the driving force of the team’s strategy, and responsible for their results. The coach, who is also nationally recognized, cannot succeed without talented players!

Here are some additional connections between the basketball team and the business world:

1.       Raw talent gets you in the door, and performance earns you a key role.

·       The coach looks for a balanced individual who has innate talent, is willing to “grind” during practice, do well in school, and make an impact on the court.

·       Organizations need to be mindful of the “whole person” they seek for specific roles.

2.       The coach fits the talent together like a jigsaw puzzle by figuring out each player’s talent and drives.

·       Last year the coach had more versatility on his team; this year he has specialists who are good at specific things like blocking, shooting and dribbling.

·       Leaders need to look at their “whole team,” be honest about the composite’s strengths and weaknesses –and develop (or hire) to fill the voids.

3.       The players shape and reinforce the team’s culture.

·       The coach instills the guardrails of the team’s culture, but each year’s Captains set the tone for how the team communicates and acts.

·       Organizations should ensure their team members embody their core values and be deliberate about discussing values when onboarding new team members.

On a humorous note, as I’ve sat through many hours in a basketball gym, I’ve analyzed the many things the team has done to boosts their performance. I then asked my tired teenager what she thought… and she said, “it’s the girls, Mom.”

In other words, it’s quite simple: people boost performance. Duh, Mom!

If you could use help optimizing the talent in your organization, the Ignite Consulting team would be thrilled to learn more.