14 July,2010 07:05 AM IST | | Dhvani Solani
All you need to do is get your team fired up about having each other to rely on, and attack that impending deadline, not as individuals but as a group
Long before the World Cup began and a certain tentacled soothsayer predicted Spain's win, football poster boys Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were being heavily relied on to bring the golden trophy home.
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Instead of having individual superstars outshine their team on field, keeper and Spanish team captain Iker Casillas believed in just one mantra: fab teamwork.
"It shows you that a team is not just one player," said Casillas, who led the team from being contenders to champions. "A player can win the tournament for you, like Argentina with Maradona.
A player can be in great form but, in the end, everything depends on teamwork."
Corporate experts agree with Casillas. "Focussing on an individual to win is an outdated formula," says Dr Shailesh Thaker, management expert and corporate coach.
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"If you pit a team relying on one super talent against another that has average talent but knows how to work together, there are greater chances of the latter delivering better."
And the good news is, it's not all that tough. Social upbringing makes most of us inherently good at working in teams. What doesn't come naturally though, is being happy about being given a role that makes you feel like a square peg in a round hole.
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"It's necessary to identify who is good at what, before delegating responsibilities," says recruitment consultant Nikhil Ranade. "Not everyone can be a striker and score goals. You also need defenders, who need to be given credit if the team scores. This shared idea of a goal ensures a win-win strategy for any company."
Does teamwork equal herd mentality?
"Not at all," says Sajan Raj Kurup, founder and creative chairman of creative agency Creativeland Asia. "Being a team is not about doing everything as a group; attending meetings in a group, sitting together, eating together. Neither is it about following. It is about being in sync, about being perceptive, picking up each other's signals, being prepared."
You don't see six people run parallel to each other, chasing the ball. One guy is at it, while the others anticipate his move while taking on respective positions. Ready to lead. Ready to shoot. Ready to pass. Whatever gets them to the goal. And who holds the trophy? Not the captain, but the team.
And while you are holding up the cup (or your annual turnover results), don't forget to shout out Salud as the Spaniards do.
Why it's cool to belong tou00a0a gang
Transitions Coach and founder-director of consulting firm Roots and Wings, Vijay Bhat takes on our questions.
What can leaders do to encourage teamwork?
Create an atmosphere of trust so that people are willing to open up to each other about themselves. In my experience, it's when the leader and his team can talk about their fears and vulnerabilities, that they are able to extend help in a time of need. It's crucial that the leader rises above petty bickering that thrives in most groups. He needs to be fair.
Why is it cool to belong to a team?
Humans enjoy being with other people. When you are alligned with a team to achieve a common goal, it motivates and stimulates you. Modern times are about ambiguity, change
and uncertainty. No single individual knows everything; there are gaping holes in our knowledge bank. Other people's experiences can help plug these holes.
Take these to bed
John Maxwell primarily writes about leadership, but here's what he has to say about teamwork: "Teamwork divides the effort and multiplies the effect. Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships." Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork are some of his bestselling titles.
