3 Positive Reasons Teams Win at Work

Watching NCAA March Madness Tournament college basketball games, I’ve learned again the supremacy of team versus a star-player-plus-four approach. Sure the “one and done” star freshman who’s merely passing through for a year on his way to the NBA might be thrilling to watch, but several such “it’s-all-about-me” squads lost to double-digit seeded teams.

How did the teams win? And what can we learn from them so we win at work?

Here are 3 Positive Reasons Teams Win at Work:

Teams focus on winning.
Star-dominated squads focus on stats. How many points did their main man score? How many rebounds did he get? Or blocks? Did he make that elusive triple double?

Teams focus on one thing: winning the game. They keep the main thing the main thing. You continue to play in the tournament when you win.

What about your work team? Do you focus on individual stats like your personal sales goal to the exclusion of the team? Or, do you bring an owner mentality to the team, seeing yourself as contributing to the continuing profitability of the company?

Work Positive teams focus on winning. They keep playing.

Teams focus on others.
Teams focus on one outcome—winning. They know they win by focusing on others.

Star-played-plus-four squads focus on the Chosen One. The one who is on the cover of the press guide, by himself. “Give me the ball and let me shoot” is his mantra. Let him have an off night, which happens to all of us, and they stink up the arena.

Teams focus on other players. Rather than keeping the ball excessively, they find ways to make one more pass for a higher percentage shot by a teammate. Scoring is distributed evenly among five or more players. All contribute by playing their role.

How about your work team? Is “it” all about one person doing everything? Or, do projects dictate that each of you make your unique contribution? That the pieces are passed around to the person best equipped to succeed until its finished?

Work Positive teams focus on others on the team who have a greater shot at success with the task.

Teams focus on opportunities.
Teams focus on one outcome—winning—by focusing on others. They also focus on opportunities.

If the star player misses shots, the other players stand around, expecting him to make it. Conversely, teams are active without the ball and put back offensive rebounds at a higher rate. They move toward opportunities.

At work, who stands around waiting for others to do the work? Teams that focus on winning and others also focus on opportunities. Their motion offense constantly learns and seeks out changing market conditions for a niche.

Work Positive and win at work by focusing on a winning outcome, others, and opportunities!