What Is The Team You Are Supposed To Be?
Last night I watched the Indiana Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 115-114. During the American Express Halftime Report on TNT, Shaquille O’Neal made a great comment directed at the Bucks: “Be the team you are supposed to be.” Shaquille’s message that he said he would give to the Bucks was to focus on their strengths, trust in their abilities, and work cohesively as a unit to achieve success. It’s about living up to the expectations that come with their individual player’s skills, talent, and hard work. The importance of each player playing to their potential and capabilities and then working cohesively as a team to achieve success.
Today, I am working with a team of educators at a Focused Leader Academy. I could not help but start the gathering with the prompt: “Last night, Shaquille O’Neal made a great comment directed at the Milwaukee Bucks: ‘Be the team you are supposed to be.’ In context of your team here at school, what would that comment mean to you?” Here are some of their responses:
- Play my role
- Pull my weight and support others
- Student, teacher, administrator support team
- Lead by example
- Serve our stakeholders
- Communicate and collaborate
- Do my job the way it is supposed to be done
- Gifts and talents are identified
- Public perception and reputation based on what the best data suggests
- Collaboration inside / competition outside
- Expect what we inspect
As you can imagine this prompted a great discussion, but it came down to that O’Neal was encouraging every member of the team to do what they were put on the team to do. This emphasized my strong belief in well defined roles and responsibilities. And when those roles and responsibilities are well defined we are better equipped to move out of our own lane occasionally to help others.
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