LEADERSHIP CHRONICLES - INTERDEPENDENCE

Excited about my first session with the North Toronto JUEL Basketball team.  This was a forming session aimed at introducing some mindset shifts and doing some forming.

I started the session with a question "What makes you a team?" Team members shared some very good reasons they felt they were a team.  One player hit on a very important aspect that differentiates groups from teams, interdependence.

Below is a list of characteristics that differentiate groups from teams.  As they pertain to performance, I believe the most important is the Individual accountability v. mutual and individual acceptability (accountable to each other).  This last characteristic of teams points to the interdependence that must exist between participants on effective teams.  I must do my job in order for you to do your job.  I must do my job in order for the team to be successful.  The teams success will lead to my personal success.

For example, if communication is an essential part of your job, players must understand that my communication affects the performance of my teammates and the success of the team.  If I don't communicate effectively (or as per the team standard), my teammates will be without the information they need to be successful and the team will not maximize performance.  I have used communication as an example but it applies to all expectations and responsibilities.

If we want players to learn to work together we must teach them the importance of interdependence.  Egoism has trickled down form professional sport and other environments to the grassroots.  While media teaches an exaggerated self-importance, coaches of team sport need to re-educate young athletes on the meaning and importance of interdependence.  

Below I have listed the characteristics that differentiate a group from a team.  Which one are you coaching, a group or a team?  Which one are you playing on, a group or a team?  If you're playing on or coaching a group that you want to be a team what can you do to facilitate a change? 

Group

• Has a designated strong leader

• Individual Accountability

• Identical purpose for group and organization

• Performance goals set by others

• Works within organizational boundaries

• Individual work products

• Organized meetings, delegation

Team

• Shares or rotates leadership roles

• Mutual and individual accountability (accountable to each other)

• Specific team vision or purpose

• Performance goals set by team

• Not inhibited by organizational boundaries

• Collect work products

• Mutual feedback, open-ended discussion, active problem solving