Building a World-Class Team
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Mike Krzyzewski and Jamie K. Spatola
Notes
You do not select a team, you select a group of people and then work together to develop into a team. In other words, teams don’t instantaneously become, they evolve. To do so, you need time, goals, and competition…When you are given the responsibility of building a team, you must make time for certain things:
- Time to form relationships
- Time to establish standards
- Time to get motivated
…there is no substitute for talent. And while a great attitude and a solid game plan will take you far, you cannot achieve at the highest level without having some aptitude.
When building a team, the members of that team need to be explicitly told what the parameters of their commitment are going to be, what is expected of them. The honesty and openness of your initial communication with these individuals lays the groundwork for the future of your relationship…In a team environment, the talent and expertise of the person next to you is not a threat, but an opportunity.
The single most important factor in bringing a team together is the formation of relationships…The relationships that a leader wants to see develop among his or her team are based on communication…In a new group, allowing time for personal connections to develop is essential. As a leader, you should always try to put your team in a position to build this foundation… In granting your team members the time to bond, you establish a foundation of communication, trust, and respect in the way you deal with one another.
“When we talk to each other, we look each other in the eye, we tell each other the truth, and we treat each other like men.”…face-to-face communication is absolutely essential. It is how you ensure that you are on the same page and moving forward together.
When you are completely engrossed in what you do, there is always the potential that your family will resent your career, feeling that it gets the best part of you. I have always tried to keep my family completely involved in what I do and I have found that it pays off, not only in their lives but in mine…When a career is truly shared, a family never feels as if it has to compete.
In developing teams, I don’t believe in rules. I believe in standards. Rules don’t promote teamwork, standards do…Take the time to establish standards. And take the time to write them down.
…common mistake that leaders make is not motivating their best people.
Take the time to celebrate your team’s accomplishments.