5 qualities of top teams-Brian Tracy

Five Qualities of Top Teams
By Brian Tracy

Over the years, exhaustive research has been done on top teams. There seem to be given characteristics or qualities of peak-performance teams that you can incorporate into your own business. Here they are:

Shared Goals and Objectives
In a smoothly functioning team, everyone is clear about what the team is expected to accomplish. The goals of the team are shared and discussed by everyone. Each team member gives his or her ideas and input into how the goals and objectives can be best achieved. Each person feels like a part of a larger organization.

Shared Values and Principles
In excellent teams, there is regular discussion about the values, principles, and behaviors that guide the decisions of the team. The leader encourages values such as honesty, openness, punctuality, responsibility for completing assignments, quality work, and so on. Everyone discusses and agrees on what they are.



Shared Plans of Action
In this phase of team building, you go around the table and have each member of the team explain exactly what part of the work he or she is going to accept responsibility for completing. At the end of this discussion, each member knows what every other member is going to be doing and how his or her own work fits in with the work of the team.

Lead the Action
There must always be a clear boss or leader in any organization. Democracy is a fine concept, but it goes only so far in business. Someone must be in command and take charge. And that someone is probably you. On a good team, everyone knows who is in charge. The leader sets an example for the others. The leader becomes the role model.

Continuous Review and Evaluation
In this final phase, the team regularly evaluates its progress from two perspectives. First, is the team getting the results that are expected by its customers or other in the company? In dealing with customers, does the team set up mechanisms to continually ask customers, "how are we doing?"

Bringing the Team Together
One of the most important things you do in building a peak performance organization is to hold regular staff meetings. Bring your people together weekly, at a fixed time, to talk, discuss, catch up on progress, learn how the company is doing, and generally share ideas, opinions, and insights.

Jon Gordon--20 Ways to get mentally Tough

20 ways to get mentally tough

1. When you face a set back think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.
2. When you encounter advertisty remember the best don’t just face it, they embrace it. Knowing it is not a dead end, it’s a detour to something greater and better.
3. When you face negative people know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity not in the absence of it.
4. When you face naysayers remeber the people who spoke postive words and believed in you.
5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.
6. When you wake up in the morning, take a walk of gratitude and success.
7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.
8. When you fail, find the lesson in it and recall a time when you have succeeded.
9. When you head into battle, visualise success.
10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where you power is the greatest.
11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.
12. When your own self doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it positive thoughts and positive self talk.
13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings and clear your mind and get into the zone. The zone  can be created.
14. When you feel all is impossible, know that all things are possible.
15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who love you and have helped you along the way.
16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.
17. When you are tired and drained remember to never, never, never, never give up. Finish strong in everything you do.
18. When you feel like you can do it, know that you can do all things through him who give you strength.
19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
20. When you are in a high pressure situation, remember to smile, have fun and enjoy it. Seize the moment.

11 traits to be the best you can be--Jon Gordon

Some Great thoughts from Jon Gordon
11 traits to be the best you can be

1. The best know what they truly want
2. The best want it more
3. The best are always striving to get better
4. The best do ordinary things better than everyone else
5. The best zoom focus
6. The best are mentally stronger
7. The best overcome their fear
8. The best seize the moment
9. The best tap into a power greater than themselves
10. The best leave a legacy
11. The best make everyone around them better

Peter Senge-Cornerstone of Learning Organziations

Systems thinking – the cornerstone of the learning organization

A great virtue of Peter Senge’s work is the way in which he puts systems theory to work. The Fifth Discipline provides a good introduction to the basics and uses of such theory – and the way in which it can be brought together with other theoretical devices in order to make sense of organizational questions and issues. Systemic thinking is the conceptual cornerstone (‘The Fifth Discipline’) of his approach. It is the discipline that integrates the others, fusing them into a coherent body of theory and practice (ibid.: 12). Systems theory’s ability to comprehend and address the whole, and to examine the interrelationship between the parts provides, for Peter Senge, both the incentive and the means to integrate the disciplines.
Here is not the place to go into a detailed exploration of Senge’s presentation of systems theory (I have included some links to primers below). However, it is necessary to highlight one or two elements of his argument. First, while the basic tools of systems theory are fairly straightforward they can build into sophisticated models. Peter Senge argues that one of the key problems with much that is written about, and done in the name of management, is that rather simplistic frameworks are applied to what are complex systems. We tend to focus on the parts rather than seeing the whole, and to fail to see organization as a dynamic process. Thus, the argument runs, a better appreciation of systems will lead to more appropriate action.
‘We learn best from our experience, but we never directly experience the consequences of many of our most important decisions’, Peter Senge (1990: 23) argues with regard to organizations. We tend to think that cause and effect will be relatively near to one another. Thus when faced with a problem, it is the ‘solutions’ that are close by that we focus upon. Classically we look to actions that produce improvements in a relatively short time span. However, when viewed in systems terms short-term improvements often involve very significant long-term costs. For example, cutting back on research and design can bring very quick cost savings, but can severely damage the long-term viability of anorganization. Part of the problem is the nature of the feedback we receive. Some of the feedback will be reinforcing (or amplifying) – with small changes building on themselves. ‘Whatever movement occurs is amplified, producing more movement in the same direction. A small action snowballs, with more and more and still more of the same, resembling compound interest’ (Senge 1990: 81). Thus, we may cut our advertising budgets, see the benefits in terms of cost savings, and in turn further trim spending in this area. In the short run there may be little impact on people’s demands for our goods and services, but longer term the decline in visibility may have severe penalties. An appreciation of systems will lead to recognition of the use of, and problems with, such reinforcing feedback, and also an understanding of the place of balancing (or stabilizing) feedback. (See, also Kurt Lewin on feedback). A further key aspect of systems is the extent to which they inevitably involve delays – ‘interruptions in the flow of influence which make the consequences of an action occur gradually’ (ibid.: 90). Peter Senge (1990: 92) concludes:

The systems viewpoint is generally oriented toward the long-term view. That’s why delays and feedback loops are so important. In the short term, you can often ignore them; they’re inconsequential. They only come back to haunt you in the long term.

Peter Senge advocates the use of ‘systems maps’ – diagrams that show the key elements of systems and how they connect. However, people often have a problem ‘seeing’ systems, and it takes work to acquire the basic building blocks of systems theory, and to apply them to your organization. On the other hand, failure to understand system dynamics can lead us into ‘cycles of blaming and self-defense: the enemy is always out there, and problems are always caused by someone else’

jeff jannsen 7 C's of Team Building

The Seven “C’s” of
Championship Team Building

By Jeff Janssen, M.S., Peak Performance Coach

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Former Boston Celtics basketball Coach Red Auerbach once remarked “Some people believe you win with the five best players, but I found out that you win with the five who fit together best.” Like championship sports teams, successful businesses must have employees who work well together to achieve a common goal. While talent is definitely important to be successful, the business with the most talent does not always make the most profits.

Talent without teamwork is trouble. I have seen too many businesses who had highly talented individuals, yet were unable to perform to their potential because of selfishness, jealousies, conflict, and people who were unable to accept their roles. Likewise I have seen teams with solid but not superior talent, rise to a championship level because of teamwork. Thus, teamwork becomes a sort of “wild card” factor whether you have great or average talent.

In working with many high level sports and business teams across the nation, I have discovered seven important factors that distinguish winning teams. It is these seven areas that I seek to improve when I consult with teams and that you as a leader must continually monitor. As you read the description of the Seven “C’s” of Championship Team Building, take a moment to assess how well your business team is doing on each of the characteristics.

Seven “C’s” of Championship Team Building

1. Common goal

Championship teams have a singular, common focus. Obviously, for many organizations the common goal is to serve the consumer, maximize profits, and become the dominant leader in the industry. These are the company’s primary, specified, overt goals and all other goals revolve around them. The goals are firmly embraced by all members of the team, from the CEO to the interns. Everyone understands the direction and destination that the company is moving toward. The employees understand that their individuals goals must fit within the framework and mission of the company.

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“A true vision gives the team more than just a target to shoot for; it gives the team a mission, a sense of purpose to get excited about.”

Pat Williams, Senior Executive Vice President,
Orlando Magic

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2. Commitment

While some seasons may start with the entire team focused on a common goal, rarely do they end up that way. Commitment is probably the single most important factor that differentiates championship teams, coaches, athletes, businesses, schools, marriages (you name it) from the mediocre. It’s much too easy to say you want to win the championship and its a whole other thing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to pursue a championship - especially when obstacles and adversity strike. Continual commitment to the team’s common goal is one of the toughest areas of team building.

Championship teams buy into the mission at every level and make the mission their own. The players and coaches work hard and pay their dues because they want to, not because they have to. In addition to their commitment, the team members feel a sense of personal and group accountability. The players have a clear understanding of how their individual choices and decisions influence the collective psyche and success of the team. There is a true sense that if an player is slacking off, she is not just hurting herself but her entire team. The players feel a sense of responsibility and obligation to give it their best.

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“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers

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3. Complementary Roles

Championship teams are comprised of several individuals who willingly take pride in a playing a variety of roles. These roles, when played in concert and harmony lead to team success. Thus, each player is assigned specific positions and responsibilities that help determine the entire team’s success. While individually they are not solely responsible for the team’s success or failure, collectively each role forms a synergistic whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The major difficulties in developing complementary roles is that some roles get more attention and praise thereby making them seem more important. Championship teams however realize that all roles are critical to the overall team’s success and willingly accept and value their individual roles.

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“I knew that the only way to win consistently was to give everybody - from the stars to the number 12 player on the bench - a vital role on the team.”

Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers

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4. Clear Communication

A fourth characteristic of championship teams is clear communication. Successful teams communicate successfully both on and off the field. The on field communication helps them perform more efficiently and effectively. Players must communicate signs, the number of outs, where to throw the ball and call fly balls to perform successfully. Off the field, players need to continually monitor the team’s effectiveness, modify things when necessary, and celebrate successes.

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“You can only succeed when people are communicating, not just from the top down but in complete interchange.”

Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers

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5. Constructive Conflict

Along with effective communication, championship teams have the ability to keep conflict under control. Often, coaches and players are able to use conflict constructively to further develop and strengthen the team. It is not that championship teams never experience conflict, because this is impossible. Instead they are able to handle the conflict they experience and do not let it interfere with the team’s common goal. Championship coaches and players make sure that their common goal always takes precedence over any conflict.

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“My job is to avoid or resolve conflict if possible, because our mission is to win.”

Chuck Daly, USA Basketball

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6. Cohesion

A sixth characteristic shared by many championship teams is that they genuinely like and respect each other. The players like to spend time with each other outside of scheduled practice and game times. They find reasons to stay together like going to the movies, studying, hanging out, etc. This is not to say that every single player is a part of the group, but that a majority of players tend to socialize together. While it is not absolutely necessary, cohesion is a factor that often will help your team perform at a higher level.

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“Respect is essential to building group cohesion... You don’t have to like each other. But you do have to respect your colleagues’ opinions and decsions, because your personal success depends on commitment to the overall plan and doing your part to make it work.”

Pat Summitt, Tennessee Women’s Basketball

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7. Credible Coaching

Finally, it takes a credible coach to develop, orchestrate, and monitor all the other “C’s” of Championship Team Building. You as a coach play a critical role in helping the team arrive at a common goal, monitoring and maintaining your players’ commitment, assigning and appreciating roles, communicating with the team, keeping conflict under control, and promoting your team’s chemistry and cohesion. The team must have a leader who they believe in and has the skills necessary to get the most from the team. A credible coach creates an effective environment that allows the team to perform to their full potential.

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“It doesn’t matter whether you are in football, real estate, or electronics, the people who work for you will be happier and more productive if they feel they have value to you beyond what they can do for you on the job. They want to feel that they are important on a personal level.”

Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego Chargers

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Championship team building is a complex process which must be continually monitored and improved. Regardless of your talent level, invest some time and tap into the power of teamwork to help your team perform at a higher level. By recognizing and working on the Seven “C’s” of Championship Team Building you can create a more motivated, committed, and cohesive team.

3 Truisims of Kevin Eastman

TRUISM # 1: There is a direct correlation between the number of ball reversals and defensive breakdowns.

Our players have to understand that the hardest thing to do defensively is to close out — to be running out at a player from the help position. Having said that, we need to understand that an advantage our offense must look to create is to get the defense to close out as often as possible; we want the ball to be reversed from side to side. With our team I can tell you that our scoring proficiency goes up as the number of passes and ball reversals goes up. Of course we have a shot clock that forces us to shoot the ball quicker, but we still would like a minimum of 3 passes as we then know the ball is getting reversed. When we only throw 1 or 2 passes we find that it is very easy for the defense to load up to the ball


TRUISM # 2: The closer you run your offense to the basket, the more physical your screens can be.

We have found that the officials are more apt to let contact go when it is closer to the basket as they are used to seeing more contact down there as opposed to out by the 3 point line. We feel that is why the flex action is allowed to get away with some physical baseline and pin down screens, and why we have to be careful when setting a back screen out by the 3 point line. So give some thought to having some part of your offensive system where you run your stuff closer to the rim.

TRUISM # 3: The faster the ball moves, the closer the defenders stay to their man.

We have found that when we move the ball a little faster, the defensive players are more concerned with staying up with their man and tend to not jump to the ball and get in help position. We also feel that that leaves us with more room to drive it as the defenders are out of position just enough to allow us to get a good driving angle on them. I would say if you do not have a good scoring post man, you should look to move the ball a little faster at times and create driving opportunities. If you do have a good post man you would want to slow it down and give the post man a good look.

The learning organization

I had the opportunity to do some research on Peter Senge and his thoughts for my grad class.  It really is some great stuff. 

According to Peter Senge (1990: 3) learning organizations are:

• …organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.

• The basic rationale for such organizations is that in situations of rapid change only those that are flexible, adaptive and productive will excel. For this to happen, it is argued, organizations need to ‘discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels’ (ibid.: 4).

• While all people have the capacity to learn, the structures in which they have to function are often not conducive to reflection and engagement. Furthermore, people may lack the tools and guiding ideas to make sense of the situations they face. Organizations that are continually expanding their capacity to create their future require a fundamental shift of mind among their members.

• When you ask people about what it is like being part of a great team, what is most striking is the meaningfulness of the experience. People talk about being part of something larger than themselves, of being connected, of being generative. It become quite clear that, for many, their experiences as part of truly great teams stand out as singular periods of life lived to the fullest. Some spend the rest of their lives looking for ways to recapture that spirit. (Senge 1990: 13)

• For Peter Senge, real learning gets to the heart of what it is to be human. We become able to re-create ourselves. This applies to both individuals and organizations. Thus, for a ‘learning organization it is not enough to survive. ‘”Survival learning” or what is more often termed “adaptive learning” is important – indeed it is necessary. But for a learning organization, “adaptive learning” must be joined by “generative learning”, learning that enhances our capacity to create’ (Senge 1990:14).

The dimension that distinguishes learning from more traditional organizations is the mastery of certain basic disciplines or ‘component technologies’. The five that Peter Senge identifies are said to be converging to innovate learning organizations. They are:

Systems thinking

Personal mastery

Mental models

Building shared vision

Team learning

He adds to this recognition that people are agents, able to act upon the structures and systems of which they are a part. All the disciplines are, in this way, ‘concerned with a shift of mind from seeing parts to seeing wholes, from seeing people as helpless reactors to seeing them as active participants in shaping their reality, from reacting to the present to creating the future’ (Senge 1990: 69).