College basketball’s annual trek up Final Four Mountain kicked off this week.
While the names of the schools change from year to year, the qualities of the championship-caliber teams are consistent. What are they? And how can you learn from them to win championships at work?
Here are 3 strategies to win positively as a team while working positively:
Play attack and defense
The champion teams know how to score a lot of points and how to prevent the other team from scoring too many. Many teams excel at one or the other. Championship teams do both well.
And your work team? Do you play equally well on offense and defense?
In a challenging economy, it’s easy to play defense well. To reduce expenses and increase productivity so you can get more done in an hour than you could in a month. And that is important to keep the doors open.
But how’s your offense? Do you seize opportunities decisively to increase sales? Do you shoot high-percentage shots, think of them as layups, AND look to set up the 3-ball?
Who is an underserved group in your main target market segment? How can you solve their problems and fulfill their dreams? When will you take a shot?
Sure, you’ll make a lower percentage of long shots, but return follows risk. You score faster and get ahead of the competition faster.
see the whole court
The champion teams understand that their mission is to score and resist being marked. His short view focuses on the current game and simultaneously beyond it. They see the whole pitch, aware of the playing conditions now and in the next second. They make a quick and efficient transition from defense to attack and from attack to defense.
And your work team? Are you in the moment while planning for the future? Do you see the entire playing field of your industry, how it is playing today and how it is trending into the future?
What are you doing today to serve your customers while anticipating how to serve them in the future?
Execute plays as practiced
Championship teams practice to win and play like they practiced.
Former NC State coach Jim Valvano used to have his team practice cutting the nets, replicating the thrill of winning the ACC title and NCAA championship…which they did.
Each player takes personal responsibility for successfully executing the plays called for the team to win. Of course individual stats are kept, but only the team wins or loses.
Does your team win as a team and also take personal responsibility for fulfilling a role? Clarify roles. Practice winning plays. See yourself as a winning team.
As you play offense and defense, see the full court and execute plays as practiced, you increase sales with increased productivity, so get out of the office early to celebrate your victory with family and friends!