The basic question is this – if you want excellence, awesomeness, fantastic performance from your team/organization then what do you need?
Talent
& Teamwork.
Both of
these aspects of performance are appreciated, but I am suggesting that the way
in which they complement one another is underappreciated.
Some
organizations tend to go the Talent route.
“Let’s just hire the most talented people and it will all work
out.” (New York Yankees, perhaps?)
Others
value Teamwork. “As long as we get our
people to work effectively as a team, we will pursue excellence.” (My Beloved Pittsburgh Pirates from 1993 –
2010, perhaps?)
The fact
is that we need both to be excellent, fantastic. Teamwork will not make up for Talent and
Talent will not make up for Teamwork.
When you
find a team – whether in Sports, Business, or Nonprofits – that exemplifies
both, then you find winners.
What are
the specific lessons here?
You need
to invest in talent! Yes, I mean paying
fantastic people well in order to attract and retain them. I know that this does not get my nonprofit
brethren very excited, but it is a reality that you – and your Boards – need to
accept. The most talented people can do
“good works” in many places.
You need
to invest in developing teamwork! And it
does not just happen by sponsoring a quarterly Happy Hour or having a cake once
a month to celebrate birthdays. You need
to take the time to develop teamwork behaviors and to create a culture of effective teamwork. It will take time that you do not have, but
you need to do it anyway. Check out this blog for suggestions.
When your
team is about to be eliminated in whatever your definition of the “championships”
are, then you want to have the effective teamwork to know who to pass the ball
to in the last seconds who has the talent to make the final shot and,
ultimately, take you to victory. That’s a Mission
Impact.
For more
ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog
and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com You will find free resources you can
download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at
no cost. You can also check out my book,
Mission Impact: Breakthrough Strategies
for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested. And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit
Consulting on Facebook.
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