Building a dynasty starts with RESPECT…
In the world of sports, the ultimate goal is to build a winning team that can prove its success by repeating. The Lakers had the three-peat, MJ & Bulls had a three-peat repeat and the KU Jayhawks have now won 14 straight Big12 conference titles. How you build and sustain that level of success requires a plan where everyone on the team has a piece of that success.
Consistently performing at the highest level is the ultimate goal for a professional, whether that be as an athlete or in business. John Wooden developed a method to achieve greatness with the Boston Bruins while winning seven straight NCAA championships and a string of 10 titles in 12 years during the ’60-’70s, and today’s great players like Lebron James are willing to move teams in his search for that same level where they can truly claim the title of “Greatest Of All Time”.
How do you build up your team to achieve greatness and retain the top talent needed to take your business to the highest level? This is the part you can control. Everything else that happens is a result of putting your best players in a position to win every game so they can use their talent and ambition to get it done!
Here is a blueprint for how to build that success, using the word Aretha Franklin immortalized and that embodies the entire concept itself- R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
RESULTS –
Everything worth achieving is measured in comparison to past performers. Whether it be winning championships in basketball, winning deals in sales, or completing projects on-time and on-budget in operations, we all measure ourselves against some level of prior success.
The most important thing to do up front as a team is to determine the goal you are trying to achieve and to aim high. As Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” Always set a goal and keep your eyes on the prize to drive your success.
EXECUTION –
Teams are comprised of individuals with diverse sets of skills that when brought together can create synergy. Much like Michael Jordan had his Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, Cartwright, each person on the team executes their task with their particular skill set when necessary. When everyone is operating at maximum effort, it is truly a beautiful thing to observe. Find what your strength is on your team and feel at “peace” with that task as it is uniquely yours and your teammates will count on you and celebrate when you do what is possible.
SPEAK UP –
When you are part of a strong functioning team, it is your responsibility to speak up and acknowledge successes and points of opportunity for others. One of my favorite lines from the movie Friday Night Lights is “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” The football coach asks the team to give it their all, and if they do, they will have peace of mind and fulfillment of their duty to the squad. If you always are clear of mind and full of pride in your team, you will never disappoint anyone including yourself. Speaking up can have a large impact on how others perform.
PROFESSIONALISM –
Every sport or business has its rules and ethics that are expected in order to have a fair competition. Playing by the rules is expected in today’s climate, and when someone cheats, it tarnishes all current and past accomplishments. Scandals like Deflategate and BALCO demonstrate that although stellar results can be achieved, the character of the athletes would be forever tainted as unjust and undeserving. Each team must determine the set of standards that they operate by and hold each other accountable to those standards as they execute their daily tasks. In the words of John Wooden, “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
EDUCATION –
The biggest lesson to learn early in life is to never stop learning. Cultivating this love of learning requires constant attention. The game is always changing and being on top of your game is a never-ending challenge. Those who appear to easily execute the perfect jump-shot have dedicated hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in the gym perfecting their skills and trying to improve as players. Signature moves like the MJ fade-away jumper, Rodman box-out rebound, and Steph long-range three-pointer all bring cheers to the crowd yet are simply the result of hard work and dedication to excellence. Allow your team to spend the appropriate time learning as part of their work and the results will be amazing to observe.
CORRECTION –
Nobody is perfect. Mistakes happen and correction is required to yield better future results. When mistakes are made, it is important to learn from them not let them define you. Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” Learning from your mistakes is just as important as the success of doing the task correctly the first time.
TOOLS –
The execution of your craft requires having the right tools in your toolbox. These tools could be methodologies, software, the certain language used, or even teammates or colleagues. Most teammates will willingly share how they achieved success. Use your teammates to learn new tactics and tricks of the trade.
IN SUMMARY…
If you use these seven benchmarks of RESPECT as the guide to building excellence, you and your team can achieve greatness. Savor the accomplishments of your team when you reach important milestones. Respect is essential for any organizational change, and Transforming Solutions is ready to help you through periods of transformation.