My daughter Jessica went all “Metaphysical” on me today after her Basketball game.
Her team of 12 girls has plenty of talent . . . and drive . . . and play well together on the court (for the most part).
But when they’re not HOT (Like today), They lose BIG.
After the first half, this team just seemed to come unraveled. Most of the starters fouled out, Many missed passes, Most shots on goal bounced off the rim, and the other team seemed to grab more than their fair share of rebounds.
I asked Jessica what happened, and she said that a team isn’t REALLY a team unless the teammates REALLY know each other ON and OFF the court . . . and her team consists of a mish-mash of girls from 3 different groups (cliques) at school.
They all High-Five while passing in the halls.
Beyond the hallways of the school and basketball practice and games, they don’t hang out together . . . EVER!
She commented that they don’t really KNOW each other.
This Basketball Team is an assemblage of professionals with a common goal to win basketball games just as (I think I can categorically say) EVERY organization is an assemblage of specialists with a common goal/passion.
The goal/passion is what brung’m together . . .
Now!
How do you take all that passion, raw talent, and myriad backgrounds and build a STRONG, WINNING organization/team?
I have an idea, and it’s not a new one.
Create a safe space without the “Clique Barriers” . . . a space in which hierarchical status doesn’t interfere with communication.
A space in which EVERYONE is on a level field of engagement and feels safe to speak candidly . . . and is present of free choice having opted in based on an open invitation.
The “Tool” to create this space is known as Open Space Technology (“Discovered” by my Father Harrison Owen) . . . It’s a simple way to bring a group of people together to self-organize their collective passion around a specific issue or opportunity.
One 3 day Open Space meeting can be transformative for any group of people bold enough to answer the invitation, and while the meeting DOES create that safe space for those 3 days, the REAL magic is what happens afterwards.
The days, weeks, months, years following such a meeting are different for the organization because of the exact nuance that Jessica mentions about her basketball team . . . The players come out of that meeting KNOWING each other at a whole new level and having the confidence of being equipped to handle anything that comes at their organization.
If you want a great team, it’s not enough simply to assemble a collage of the best players in the industry.
Great Teams happen when these “best players” feel safe in a “self-organized” way.
As they each get t0 know all the others beyond the game, the team grows in strength.
As I build Pareto Realty, these are the thoughts I have.
Create a Safe space around our way of doing business (The Life Rhythm Way), and build a strong TEAM of LOCAL Real Estate Professionals to serve the needs of Home Buyers and Sellers in Middle Tennessee (Nashville and surrounding)
PS – I’m available for speaking, consulting, facilitation for people and organizations @ Life Rhythm and Creating safe space for organizations with Open Space Technology.
How’s YOUR team performing?