Hopefully, not like the picture above.
Have you noticed that when examples of Teamwork are discussed by learning professionals or those from other functions, the following are most often quoted?
1) River rafting crew
2) Rowboat race (different countries have different types of boats so I'm simply saying "rowboats")
3) Flock of flying geese.
4) Formula One (F1) Pit Crews
5) Sports teams - cricket / football / hockey / basketball (take your pick).
6) The armed forces
Have you noticed that when examples of Teamwork are discussed by learning professionals or those from other functions, the following are most often quoted?
1) River rafting crew
2) Rowboat race (different countries have different types of boats so I'm simply saying "rowboats")
3) Flock of flying geese.
4) Formula One (F1) Pit Crews
5) Sports teams - cricket / football / hockey / basketball (take your pick).
6) The armed forces
7) A colony of Ants
Most folk focus on the output and the interchange between the team members, and don't really notice the different skillsets required for these teams to function. I'll talk about two particular teams viz. the rowboat and the F1 Pit crew a little more to illustrate my point.
Most folk focus on the output and the interchange between the team members, and don't really notice the different skillsets required for these teams to function. I'll talk about two particular teams viz. the rowboat and the F1 Pit crew a little more to illustrate my point.
Here is the image of a rowboat race
And here's one of the F1 Pit crew
What I like about both images:
- The hallmark for both these teams is synchronous precision. This is poetry in motion, to me. I'm not referring to winning, but getting the job done.
- There's heavy focus on learning and preparation - without which a team or individual cannot succeed.
- Every person knows his role inside out, on both teams.
What I see as different between the two:
- In the rowboat team, the task to be performed is of low or medium complexity. But with the F1 team, the tasks are comparatively of a fairly high level of complexity.
- In the rowboat team, the tasks are the same for most of the team members, except the navigator. Therefore hiring for this team, will not be a really a complex activity. Compared to this, each member of the F1 team must have specialized knowledge to execute his or her task. Hiring for this team will take special effort.
As a leader, which of these teamwork variations would be most useful for your organizations?
I particularly like this quote by Ray Dalio
Think of your team the way that Sports Managers do - No One person possesses everything to produce success, Yet everyone must excel.
With the idea that "everyone must excel", the answer is both - for certain conditions.
In startups, since you can't hire that fast, you need people to perform like the F1 crew. So specialized folk are the key hires here.
When the organization grows to a midsize or large organization, this would be a time to standardize tasks, and bring more of the rowboat team members on board.
Here are a few questions to help evaluate your organization's teams and where you need them to be:
- What is the projected pace of performance expected from your team? Will it be sufficient to take the organization closer to it's vision every year? If not, what's the backup plan?
- Are there any upcoming challenges in the external business environment that will impact your organization's progress this year (other than COVID19)? What is the contingency plan here?
- How many rowboat teams and F1 Pit crew teams do you need? Are they sufficiently staffed? Are they being provided with robust, business-linked learning interventions?
- Which are your critical positions? Are they all filled? What is the backup / contingency plan for these positions?
- Is your organization's attrition data available, understood and actioned upon? If not, by when will it be?
- And since I'm a strengths strategy coach - Are the strengths of your team members balanced with the weaknesses of other team members?
Please share your perspectives about teamwork and manpower planning. Have I raised more questions in your mind? I'd be happy to have a chat. Write to me at ryanbbarretto@hotmail.com or call me on +919820155778 for a discussion.
