For teams to win players need to make a plays."Dad, what does it mean to 'make a play'?" my youngest son recently asked me.As I have written here before, this is our sports nut -- who loves competing in just about anything that involves being on a team.Apparently his coach had shouted to him during a recent game that the team need him to "make a play" and he was a bit confused at the directive.In his mind, wasn't he on the field to "make a play" in the first place?It was an innocent, and totally reasonable, question. I explained that it really means that his team was counting on him, especially in that particular moment, to step up and make something good happen to help the team win. I told him that sometimes when teams are struggling, having a player with the "skill and the will to make a play" can change the entire game.It's an interesting phenomenon, whether we are talking about youth sports or in business. There are ebbs and flows. Teams get in slumps. Sometimes they can get stuck spinning their wheels and working a problem. It's in those moments when all a coach or manager needs is someone, (anyone!) to have the courage to take it upon themselves to make a play and change momentum and help the rest of the team.Think about the companies and teams you admire most. The strongest ones always get this. They know it is not just one or two people that will win the game for them. It is incumbent upon everyone to be accountable for the outcome and, when it is their turn, to execute.On the playing field, this can be simple -- complete a key pass or sink a shot, make a big tackle or score a crucial set of points, stop an opponent or fill in for an injured teammate. To that end, the act of "making a play" isn't really teachable -- it has to come from within a person in a particular moment. But how do we encourage people to "make plays" in business, particularly when you are grinding away at making a number or hitting a key milestone? I think the key is to first establish a culture that is connected by mutual trust and camaraderie and accountability to one another. When you have that as a base, people generally do not want to be the one that lets their teammates down. They are more apt to make a play when they know others need them to do so. If they don't feel connected to the final outcome, people will be less apt to step up. Next, I think you need to create an environment that embraces autonomy and creativity. Sometimes the act of "making a play" is unnatural -- it requires someone to have the confidence to go out of their comfort zone or think outside of the box and come up with a solution/deal/product that hadn't been previously done. If people are conditioned to only do what they are told within a certain established framework, the types of plays that can be made are far more limited.Then, kind of as a build from last week's preamble (most read intro this year, btw), you absolutely need to be willing to take a risk in order to make play. Team members that are comfortable taking a risk in a given moment in order to seize a reward for the team are most likely to change a game when it is needed. They are the ones who come up with the crazy, 11th hour deal that makes the quarter. They are the ones who sign that partnership that eventually leads to a huge mutual customer coming aboard. They do it because not only may they benefit, but they understand that the team as a whole will benefit more.Do you have an environment conducive to making plays? Is your team filled with people who have both the "skill" and, more importantly, the "will" to do so? If so, congratulations! Your future is bright! But if not, it may require some coaching and leadership to create the right stage to enable play making combined with encouragement of your players to be willing to take ownership in the overall success of the team.And if that doesn't work, you may need to go out and get yourself a team full of playmakers -- if you decide to do that give me a call. I might know a kid that should be ready for you in about......oh 11 years or so....Have a good one everyone!XOXOXODave
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Friends of Dave #253: wake up, jeff!
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For teams to win players need to make a plays."Dad, what does it mean to 'make a play'?" my youngest son recently asked me.As I have written here before, this is our sports nut -- who loves competing in just about anything that involves being on a team.Apparently his coach had shouted to him during a recent game that the team need him to "make a play" and he was a bit confused at the directive.In his mind, wasn't he on the field to "make a play" in the first place?It was an innocent, and totally reasonable, question. I explained that it really means that his team was counting on him, especially in that particular moment, to step up and make something good happen to help the team win. I told him that sometimes when teams are struggling, having a player with the "skill and the will to make a play" can change the entire game.It's an interesting phenomenon, whether we are talking about youth sports or in business. There are ebbs and flows. Teams get in slumps. Sometimes they can get stuck spinning their wheels and working a problem. It's in those moments when all a coach or manager needs is someone, (anyone!) to have the courage to take it upon themselves to make a play and change momentum and help the rest of the team.Think about the companies and teams you admire most. The strongest ones always get this. They know it is not just one or two people that will win the game for them. It is incumbent upon everyone to be accountable for the outcome and, when it is their turn, to execute.On the playing field, this can be simple -- complete a key pass or sink a shot, make a big tackle or score a crucial set of points, stop an opponent or fill in for an injured teammate. To that end, the act of "making a play" isn't really teachable -- it has to come from within a person in a particular moment. But how do we encourage people to "make plays" in business, particularly when you are grinding away at making a number or hitting a key milestone? I think the key is to first establish a culture that is connected by mutual trust and camaraderie and accountability to one another. When you have that as a base, people generally do not want to be the one that lets their teammates down. They are more apt to make a play when they know others need them to do so. If they don't feel connected to the final outcome, people will be less apt to step up. Next, I think you need to create an environment that embraces autonomy and creativity. Sometimes the act of "making a play" is unnatural -- it requires someone to have the confidence to go out of their comfort zone or think outside of the box and come up with a solution/deal/product that hadn't been previously done. If people are conditioned to only do what they are told within a certain established framework, the types of plays that can be made are far more limited.Then, kind of as a build from last week's preamble (most read intro this year, btw), you absolutely need to be willing to take a risk in order to make play. Team members that are comfortable taking a risk in a given moment in order to seize a reward for the team are most likely to change a game when it is needed. They are the ones who come up with the crazy, 11th hour deal that makes the quarter. They are the ones who sign that partnership that eventually leads to a huge mutual customer coming aboard. They do it because not only may they benefit, but they understand that the team as a whole will benefit more.Do you have an environment conducive to making plays? Is your team filled with people who have both the "skill" and, more importantly, the "will" to do so? If so, congratulations! Your future is bright! But if not, it may require some coaching and leadership to create the right stage to enable play making combined with encouragement of your players to be willing to take ownership in the overall success of the team.And if that doesn't work, you may need to go out and get yourself a team full of playmakers -- if you decide to do that give me a call. I might know a kid that should be ready for you in about......oh 11 years or so....Have a good one everyone!XOXOXODave