Team vs. Talent, a Cinderella story

March is a great time of year if you are a college basketball fan. The excitement and passion of the NCAA tournament, in my opinion, is unparalleled in collegiate athletics. Even if you don’t have a rooting interest or a home team you are pulling for, watching 64 schools battle for the national championship provides excellent entertainment.

One of the great storylines of the tournament every year is the emergence of the Cinderella stories, lower ranked teams that somehow, despite their lack of independent talent find a way to work effectively as a team and defeat much more talented athletes. This year was no different. In the first round, the 15^th seated Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State defeated the much heralded and much more individually talented number 2 ranked Spartans of Michigan State.

This was not just a one-time fluke. Several other lower ranked seeds also defeated higher ranked teams with arguably, better talent.

#13 Hawaii defeated #4 California

#11 Wichita St. defeated #6 Arizona

#12 Yale defeated #5 Baylor

#11 UNI defeated #6 Texas

#14 Stephen F. Austin defeated #3 West Virginia

#12 UALR defeated #5 Purdue

#11 Gonzaga defeated #6 Seton Hall

So how does this happen? One or two upsets might be a coincidence, a lucky bounce of the ball, improper tournament seating or a bad call by the referee, but several times a year, every year? There has to be more to it.

The simple answer, Team trumps Talent.

Often, instead of playing as a cohesive unit, teams often try to play 5 one-on-one basketball games at the same time. Even though they all had the same goal in mind (score more points than the opposing team) they each had their own strategy.  Five great athletes, each with their own strategy, were no match for five average ball players who played with one. Additionally, under the bright lights of the tournament and watchful eyes of NBA scouts, individual egos often emerge. Trying to showcase their unique talents for the next level, they break from the team construct and use the venue as an individual interview.

In basketball as in your company, talent is important. However most organizations are measured on results not aptitude. Potential is only useful if it is realized. In today’s business world, almost every operation is team based. Being the smartest (most talented) person is only helpful if you can effectively communicate and translate your knowledge, otherwise you a playing 1 on 5 basketball. The creation of highly functional teams allows for greater results. Leveraging the natural diversity and strengths of its membership provides greater creativity and insight. This in turn allows the team to achieve results much greater then the sum of their parts.

One of the easiest and most successful utilization of the team concept is using Lean A3 as a business strategy. Having highly functional A3 teams quickly, and accurately diagnose and solve complicated problems, dramatically increasing the effectiveness and sustainability. A3 teams help avoid personal ego’s from getting in the way through the consensus of a team strategy. Oh and by the why, A3 teams radically elevate your organizational intelligence, which in turns increases your overall talent level.

Imagine what you could accomplish when you elevate your organizational talent within a team first framework. It would probably look a lot like the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies basketball team. They haven’t lost a game in 2 years and are on pace to win their 4th national title in a row. The Lady Huskies are a gleaming example of what you can accomplish when you develop talent with a team first mentality.  Go Huskies!