You’re a manager who is a firm believer in “Team Work” and all of the effort that goes into creating a winning team. But, what if one of your team players is more of a cheerleader or finds excitement in passing out the water bottles while the rest of their team fights hard to win the game?
There are all types of team players and if you have managed a team for very long I am sure you are thinking of the ones that you know. I have always been a front-line player and sitting on the sideline was an absolute punishment for me.
Not all players want to be up front and center nor should they be, as they would hold back the team from gaining yardage. What is important to keep in mind is that all types of players are important for the team to win.
What happens far too often in teams is a failure on the manager’s part in explaining all team positions to everyone. They then would know why some of the players seem more productive in some ways than others.
Take for example the position of the quarterback versus the team placekicker. Both positions are needed to have a complete team, yet the quarterback position is more of a “star” position and the placekicker, although very important, only makes an appearance when he is needed.
When the positions and duties are not clearly understood by all team players there are several things that can happen which can eventually take a toll on the team as a whole.
The more visible, active players see the less active players as ones who are not pulling their weight on the team.
The active players resent the less active players which breaks down communication and teamwork.
The active players consider their positions more important and therefore they are more valuable than the less active players.
The less active players feel inferior and pressure from the more active players.
The less active players begin to see their positions as having no real value therefore they do not have value.
If these five issues are not clearly identified and understood all of the team players will feel lack of support and leadership from the team leader. They lose respect and trust for management and become disillusioned with their positions.
They do not have the knowledge of how each player fits into the big picture of the team as a whole; therefore they cannot be a well-functioning team.
All sports have a rule book that defines all positions. The rule book explains what it takes to do each position and each positions purpose to the team. All players read it and know what each position’s purpose is and how the team is to function as a whole. They understand how to play the game and the rules to win.
If your team is having problems functioning you might want to pull our your rule book, gather your team up and review all positions, their purpose, function and how they all relate to each other.
A good review every now and then will keep your team a well-oiled working machine!
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