Teamwork Lessons from NFL Greats
By: Hanif Hemani
If
there was a Super Bowl for workplace team performance, would your team be in it
to win it—or would they miss the playoffs? While individual
achievement is important, teamwork is critical to a company’s success.
So,
how do you get your workers to pull together as a team? Take some tips from
these professional football coaches and players who have seen tremendous
success on the field.
1. Maximize
your team’s potential.
Tony Dungy, NBC
analyst and former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, credits this seven-point formula
for his team’s success:
- Engage
- Educate
- Equip
- Encourage
- Empower
- Energize
- Elevate
“Those are the methods for maximizing the potential
of any individual, team, organization or institution for ultimate success and
significance,” Dungy said.
2. Recognize individuals who commit
to team goals.
Legendary
coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, is considered by many to be one of
the most successful coaches in football history. He said the power of teamwork
went far beyond the football field.
“Individual
commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a
society work, a civilization work,” Lombardi said.
3. Show your own commitment to your
team.
According
to five-time league MVP and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, you
can’t expect your team to push for success if you are not there for them.
“Being
there every week for my teammates is really important to me,” Manning said. “It's
about accountability.”
4. Don’t let negative people sour the
team.
Terry Bradshaw won four Super
Bowl titles as the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and believes that
attitude plays an important role in team success.
“Bad attitudes will ruin your
team,” Bradshaw said. “Concentrate on the factors you have control over:
persistence, self-discipline, confidence. Far more failures are due to lack of
will than lack of ability.”
5. Let established team members be role models for success.
Merlin Olsen, a former defensive
tackle with the Los Angeles Rams, was selected to the Pro Bowl a record 14
straight times. He placed a high value on both experience and commitment.
“The winning team has a
dedication. It will have a core of veteran players who set the standards,”
Olsen said. “They will not accept defeat.”
A team that does not accept
defeat will keep pushing forward and overcome obstacles that might defeat a
less committed group.
6. Finally, remember the power of hard work.
Walter Payton, former running
back for the Chicago Bears, is remembered as one of the hardest working and best
running backs in NFL history. In his autobiography, Payton described what he
thought made someone a winner.
“A winner is somebody who has
given his best effort, who has tried the hardest they possibly can, who has
utilized every ounce of energy and strength within them to accomplish
something. It doesn't mean that they accomplished it or failed, it means that
they've given it their best.”
Strong Teams Also Mean Better Hires
In the NFL, the team that
finishes last gets the first draft pick. But that’s not so in the workplace. Creating
a “Super Bowl” quality team fuels company success, and is more likely to attract
the strongest job candidates your company needs to succeed.