Taking a glance at the big screen watching the beautiful game. It immediately catches my attention the now great -in every sense- variety of teams from all parts of the world.
Not that they did not participate before, but certainly all countries have greatly improved their games and it is fascinating to watch the different styles against each other. The predominance of European and South-American teams of years gone, along with their results predictions, has been nicely replaced with wonder and amazement at what the newer emerging countries can do when providing and facing such a variety of styles.
The results are somehow unpredictable: control vs. speed vs. height vs. force vs. precision vs. time vs. effort vs. technique vs. individualism vs. rehearsal …
I've been fortunate enough to have worked in companies that allow diversity, and most of those even encourage it. While it is difficult to manage such a variety of ideas, work styles, business background culture and so on; the truth is that the results are way better than if the teams were composed of similarly minded individuals.
In fact, the best products of collective minds: be it cars, NGOs, computers, movies, policies, et cetera; are those crafted by a team: the more diversified, the better the results.
Diversity at play. It is, in fact, a beautiful game.
Showing posts with label team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label team. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Dream Team
One of my teammates was bitterly complaining that sometimes he felt the entire team, or most of it, needed to be replaced. He is very competitive and sometimes leaves his own tasks and duties to help others, so that they achieve deadlines and quotas. However, it does not always happen so.
We see this scenario even in “professional” sports: two or three stars meet most of the qualities required for the team to be close to perfect. However, when the rest of them are not as good, or simply make mistakes, or do not execute according to plans; it is very likely that such team will lose the game.
In business is quite the same: we would love some times to have a Dream Team in our department or the whole company, but being realistic that would be close to impossible to achieve. The same market demands would prevent it from ever happening.
So, what do we do? As I explained to Theo, all we can do is give our best every time. Whatever we can achieve individually and as a team, should carry implicitly our 100% best effort. The market will notice, eventually. The best part is, as individuals, we will always be able to sleep well knowing we are doing the best we can. We cannot demand nor accept less from ourselves.
Are you the star in your team?
We see this scenario even in “professional” sports: two or three stars meet most of the qualities required for the team to be close to perfect. However, when the rest of them are not as good, or simply make mistakes, or do not execute according to plans; it is very likely that such team will lose the game.
In business is quite the same: we would love some times to have a Dream Team in our department or the whole company, but being realistic that would be close to impossible to achieve. The same market demands would prevent it from ever happening.
So, what do we do? As I explained to Theo, all we can do is give our best every time. Whatever we can achieve individually and as a team, should carry implicitly our 100% best effort. The market will notice, eventually. The best part is, as individuals, we will always be able to sleep well knowing we are doing the best we can. We cannot demand nor accept less from ourselves.
Are you the star in your team?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Letting IT linger
On Monday, at kid’s soccer practice I found a program for volleyball drop-in. It made me remember how well I used to play and how much fun it was on my teenage years, as well as how much I enjoyed watching the international tournaments. The strategy, the athleticism, the pressure, everything around volleyball attracted me to be there that night.
However, the simple thought that it had been at least a couple of decades since the last time I faced a team of six on the other side of a net on a real court made me dread such initiative. I walked away for a 10 or 15 minutes lapse while recalling so many good times long gone.
Then I returned to see the page: it was clear: “Volleyball drop-in, $2.00 2 hours 8:30pm – 10:30pm, maximum 40 people”.
So, it would be three courts. I then remembered seeing some people getting to the gym some nights; all dressed and ready for the volleyball sessions. I felt compelled to join again. Yet, the thought that I would be the oldest person in the court, and perhaps the slowest, heaviest and most ignorant of the rules made me refrain again.
Then I found myself coming back to re-read such invitation for the third time! It was decided: I went home, looked for short pants, tennis shoes, a comfortable t-shirt and a bottle of water.
Turns out I had a great time! :D All my fears dissipated once there: it took me a few minutes to get acquainted with the ball feeling and weight, its bouncing and all. I wasn’t the oldest, or slowest… it did not matter. I took a beating and was on the floor a few times, some muscles I forgot existed hurt that night and the following days, but it was just great.
In business, and mainly on those IT related, we do the same. Don’t we? We let those specific projects or tasks linger sometimes more than necessary. Postpone them. Procrastinate. All the time!
We dread all the inconveniences of the pressure, the hindsight, the fact that we don’t know or remember everything there is to apply to the task, et cetera.
Surely we will finish exhausted and take a beating too. But I’m pretty sure the rewards will far outweigh the hassles.
Go play that game!
However, the simple thought that it had been at least a couple of decades since the last time I faced a team of six on the other side of a net on a real court made me dread such initiative. I walked away for a 10 or 15 minutes lapse while recalling so many good times long gone.
Then I returned to see the page: it was clear: “Volleyball drop-in, $2.00 2 hours 8:30pm – 10:30pm, maximum 40 people”.
So, it would be three courts. I then remembered seeing some people getting to the gym some nights; all dressed and ready for the volleyball sessions. I felt compelled to join again. Yet, the thought that I would be the oldest person in the court, and perhaps the slowest, heaviest and most ignorant of the rules made me refrain again.
Then I found myself coming back to re-read such invitation for the third time! It was decided: I went home, looked for short pants, tennis shoes, a comfortable t-shirt and a bottle of water.
Turns out I had a great time! :D All my fears dissipated once there: it took me a few minutes to get acquainted with the ball feeling and weight, its bouncing and all. I wasn’t the oldest, or slowest… it did not matter. I took a beating and was on the floor a few times, some muscles I forgot existed hurt that night and the following days, but it was just great.
In business, and mainly on those IT related, we do the same. Don’t we? We let those specific projects or tasks linger sometimes more than necessary. Postpone them. Procrastinate. All the time!
We dread all the inconveniences of the pressure, the hindsight, the fact that we don’t know or remember everything there is to apply to the task, et cetera.
Surely we will finish exhausted and take a beating too. But I’m pretty sure the rewards will far outweigh the hassles.
Go play that game!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sports and biz do not mix
Two months ago I attended a huge technology related event. The place contained more than 500 attendees, some very young, some others more mature.
At breakfast and lunch I looked for people I knew who shared the same interest I have. When I was unsuccessful in getting together with any of them I would look for an empty chair in a table with people my age or older. My intention to hear from them about industry trends and mainly business.
Much to my surprise, when trying to establish conversations about business strategies, modes, recent experiences and such; the topics would immediately switch to technical stuff of popular sports. I felt out of place when two or three of them started talking about the new guy(s) in the local team: names and last names were mentioned but none of those I'd recognize. I felt like an idiot when one of them asked my opinion about how the team would make this season; I felt blushing trying to answer a very simple question about something most of them knew about. I don't even remember my answer, just babbled about -as politely as I could- the unimportance of such topic to me.
They carried on, excluding me from the conversation from that point forward. I do not think any of them believed me when I pointed out there were way more important developments in our world than a sports team, whether local or not.
How is it that a “The Yankees won the series” headline is more attractive than knowing 700 people got their job back yesterday? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy success at sports and arts, but it is enjoyable when I or a member of my family or even a friend, or someone I know personally wins. But a bunch of unknowns?
Come on! Let's go back to what is really important in this life, that's the first step to fix the mess we've dumped our world in.
What was the score? ...or maybe I should ask first: what was the sport?
At breakfast and lunch I looked for people I knew who shared the same interest I have. When I was unsuccessful in getting together with any of them I would look for an empty chair in a table with people my age or older. My intention to hear from them about industry trends and mainly business.
Much to my surprise, when trying to establish conversations about business strategies, modes, recent experiences and such; the topics would immediately switch to technical stuff of popular sports. I felt out of place when two or three of them started talking about the new guy(s) in the local team: names and last names were mentioned but none of those I'd recognize. I felt like an idiot when one of them asked my opinion about how the team would make this season; I felt blushing trying to answer a very simple question about something most of them knew about. I don't even remember my answer, just babbled about -as politely as I could- the unimportance of such topic to me.
They carried on, excluding me from the conversation from that point forward. I do not think any of them believed me when I pointed out there were way more important developments in our world than a sports team, whether local or not.
How is it that a “The Yankees won the series” headline is more attractive than knowing 700 people got their job back yesterday? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy success at sports and arts, but it is enjoyable when I or a member of my family or even a friend, or someone I know personally wins. But a bunch of unknowns?
Come on! Let's go back to what is really important in this life, that's the first step to fix the mess we've dumped our world in.
What was the score? ...or maybe I should ask first: what was the sport?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)