No ‘I’ in a winning team -- really?

  • Published
  • By Col. Kristan Wolf
  • 36th Medical Group commander
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) --  Over the years, my favorite movies have become “The Mighty Ducks,” “The Rookie” and especially “Remember the Titans.” Was it because of the feel-good nature of the message? No, it was because they epitomized how I believed teams were built and what teamwork could accomplish. I’d always answered most challenges faced by a unit or an organization with, “the team can do it.” Teams were much stronger than the individuals themselves or individuals gaggled together. There was no “I” in a team.

Then, I was fortunate enough to attend a gathering where an author of “Chicken Soup for the Heart” gave a speech that made me totally restructure my views on teams and teamwork. He proposed that there was a difference in teams … that there were teams and winning teams. The example he gave was from the 1990s when the Dallas Cowboys ruled the NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were at the bottom of the heap. He visited the two teams at their home stadiums.

What he found at Tampa was a cluttered locker room with empty pizza boxes on the floor and dirty towels strewn all over the benches. When he asked one of the players what he did, the answer he received was, “Play football.”

He next visited the Dallas Cowboys. What greeted him there was an immaculate locker room, where he witnessed players picking up after themselves and taking pride in their surroundings. This time when he asked a player what he did, he was told, “Win Super Bowls!”

With that, the author clarified what he believe accounted for the differences in teams. There were two “I”s in a winning team. One was for independent growth and accountability, while the other was interdependent collaboration. After mulling over that concept for a few hours, it suddenly dawned on me there was also a “G” in “winning teams.”

Unlike Tampa Bay, the leaders of the Dallas Cowboys had set a goal, or defined a vision, for the team and set an expectation of personal performance. Their players were acutely aware their job was to win Super Bowls, not to just play football. Similarly, at the beginning of the 2000-2001 season, the Colorado Avalanche managers brought in a motivational speaker to talk about how he’d overcome adversity and made it to the top of Mount Everest by taking one step at a time. He painted for them their goal of the Stanley Cup in their possession at the end of the season, by winning one game at a time. As a visible reminder, an ice pick was driven into the locker room wall as a daily reminder of that goal.

Once a vision has been identified, then team members, sometimes with the aid of supervisors and coaches, can define what their role is in achieving the team’s goal. The guards and tackles on the offensive line of a football team know their job is to not let the other team’s defense get to the quarterback. They are to protect him to prevent a sack which could change the outcome of the entire game. Each is responsible for the three feet in front of him, the three feet behind and the three feet on either side -- nine square feet.

Each of us is a member of multiple teams -- family, work, base. As good team members, each of us should ask ourselves, “What is the team’s goal and what are our ‘nine square feet’?” What do we need to know, and what skills do we possess to perform well within the box? Then, each of us must complete a self-evaluation and identify those things we need to improve. Ask for constructive criticism from peers and supervisors. Insist on feedback. Then set to work to fix those things and take accountability for all areas of responsibility in that “nine square feet.” That’s the first “I” in a winning team.

During a recent inspection, I witnessed a great example of the second “I” when services, logistics and medical group Airmen worked hand-in-hand to pull off a smooth reception of forces. Any one of the units could have stumbled and caused the entire team to fail. No one player can be the single star. Just ask the LA Lakers this year. Each member must mesh actions with the others. Ask yourself, “What other sections are critical to my shop getting its job done?” “With whom do I need to build bridges or network?” “Where do I have room to negotiate?” “What’s the bigger picture?” “What can I do to help another section?” Then take action on your findings to ensure strong collaborative efforts.

As I sat on the bleachers watching a college fast-pitch softball game, it struck me that although a play could only be made by one of the players on the field, many of the other team members helped with the success. A long hit was headed to the outfield and, as the centerfielder tried to detect the ball against the sun, the other two outfielders were yelling for her to back up and move right. With that guidance, she was right where she needed to be to save a triple. When the catcher’s view was blocked by the batter, the girls on the bench were vital to alerting the catcher when the opposition took off from first to steal second. Not everyone on your team has to be in on every piece of the process. That’s a great opportunity to get a relook at the team performance by someone who’s involved. Your “second string” is of great value to success.

Finally, it’s good to remember that we all have some collective responsibilities in our “nine square feet” box. We are all responsible for the appearance of the installation, for operational safety, for the safety of each other and for the example we set as members of the Air Force.

Leaders set the “G”oals and vision. It’s now time for each of us to make sure we’ve done our part in our “I”ndepentent improvement and accountability, along with our “I”nterdependent collaboration, so we score the winning run to remain a “Winning Team.”