Who wants it more?

I coach my son's baseball team in the summer and the staff share a common refrain that "we can't want it more than the boys do." The idea is pretty simple: the team is playing the game and the players are the ones reacting to each hit or pitch. If the nine-year-old isn't engaged in the game then the coaches are automatically constrained in our ability to manage scenarios or issues that arise. Engagement becomes every bit as important as a player's skill in fielding a ground ball or hitting.  

This example repeats itself every day in workplaces all over the world. When players (employees) understand how important they are to the operation and are "trained and trusted", the team performs better. Supervisors and managers cannot be everywhere all of the time and cannot be expected to have all of the answers and to expect that your organization can succeed with that type of management structure not only ignores the costs of building and staffing those management positions but also that the US provides one of the most skilled work forces in the world.

 

I can't finish without addressing that competent management is also critical.  Good coaches get the most out of their teams by helping them think about root causes and by providing tools and processes to solve problems. Good managers get 1 + 1 to equal 3 (or more).

Which all brings me back to baseball. The manager and coaches of a team can want to win more than anyone, but the teams that perform are the ones where the players have the skills, the engagement and are empowered. So, which type of organization are you building?