April 2009
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| Learn the purpose behind the chart and the Blackberry. |
Ah-Ha! Moment – As people adapt to being part of a high-performing team, they may think they can showboat and get away with it. Ray Regan, who played for Coach John Wooden in high school, tells what happened to a teammate who had trouble with teamwork and sharing:
"One day Coach decided to teach this guy a lesson. He took us aside and said to pass the basketball to the showboat and then immediately run to the middle of the court – all four of his teammates – sit down, and let him face the other squad alone. It was Coach's way of showing that everybody helps everybody or nothing gets done. The showboat started passing the ball after that." (From Coach Wooden's Leadership Game Plan for Success, pages 120 and 121.)
Virtually everyone on my staff has showboated at some time while playing on my team. My tactic is similar to Coach Wooden's – I withhold resources of the firm, such as the time of their coworkers or my own time, which causes them to work harder to get the job done. (Regrettably, I had to do this in April.) The person quickly gets the point – "Todd means business, and I better play the way he wants, or I'll end up doing this all myself." Yes, it DOES take 10 hands to score a basket!
